BX 9185 
.W5 



1824 



LETTER 

FROM A 

to the, K 

MINISTERS AND ELDERS 

OF THE 

CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. 

In which the manner of public worship in 
that church is considered j its in- 
conveniencies and defects 
pointed out, and methods 
for removing them 
humbly proposed. 



Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thineheart be hasty 
to utter any thing" before God; for God is in heaven, and 
thou upon earth : therefore let thy words be few. — Eccl. v. 2. 

I will pray with the Spirit, and I will pray with the un- 
derstanding also. — 1. Cor. xiv. 15. 



FROM A LONDON EDITION. 

BOSTON. 

PUBLISHED BTT R. P. & C. WILLIAMS • 

Comhill Square, No. 79. Washington Street. 

For sale byT. & J. Swords, & Samuel Whiting-, New York; S. 
Potter & Co. 'Philadelphia ; J. Babcock & Son, New Haven ; Henry 
Huntington, Hartford; Samuel Johnson, agent, Portland; C.Whip- 
ple, Newbuiyport; Wm. Muenscher, Bristol, R. I.; S. Ide, Windsor, 
Vt.; E. J. Coale, Baltimore ; S. Babcock & Co. & £. Gibbs, Charles- 
ton, S.C. Davis & Force, Washington City. 



1824. 



.bis 

&Otozvttmmtnt. 

If, in the following sheets, the reader finds 
the Blacksmith now and then introducing scraps 
of Latin, he will be the less surprized if he 
reflects, that in Scotland most of the mechan- 
ics have a smattering of that Language, which 
is taught even in the country parish schools. 
It seems, the author thought it incumbent 
upon him, when he had to do with the clergy, 
to muster up all the little learning he was 
master of. With what propriety and judgment 
his quotations are introduced, is submitted to 
the reader, by his most obedient servant, 
THE PUBLISHER. 



AMERICAN EDITOR'S PREFACE. 

This little book is written with such strength 
of argument in favor of a precomposed Litur- 
gy, and at the same time with such genuine 
touches of humor, that the publisher of the 
present edition thinks it best to give the work 
to the public entire, in its original form. 
Though well adapted to the place and time in 
which it was written, it is pointed at many er- 
rors, which are not prevalent in our age and 
country. But, as the spirit of error and enthu- 
siasm, though assuming different appearances, 
is ever much the same, the following sheets 
may afford pleasure and edification to the can- 
did reader. 



A 



LETTER 

TO THE 

MINISTERS AND ELDERS OF THE CHURCH OF 
SCOTLAND. 

Right Reverend and Right Honorable, 

I HAVE presumed to address you on a sub- 
ject which appears to me of the greatest im- 
portance and worthy of the consideration 
of the ministers and elders of the Church 
of Scotland. Thank God, I have reason- 
to hope, from your wisdom, learning and 
piety, that 1 shall be favored with a fair and 
patient hearing, though my sphere of life be 
low, and my sentiments set off with no other 
advantages than sincerity and truth, as far as 
I can distinguish it : for God, and my own 
heart, bear witness, that I present this address 
with no other view than to promote (as much 
as 1 can) the glory of God, the interests of true 
religion, and the honor, purity and peace of the 
Church of Scotland. Could I have found any 
better method of communicating my thoughts, 
than by a letter. I would willingly have chosen 
it : or had I hoped ever to have seen a more 
favourable season than the present. I would pa- 
tiently have waited for it. But now we are 



4 



A LETTER TO 



blessed with a learned body of clergy, with a 
prince well disposed to promote true piety 
among his people, and we have the happiness 
to live in an age, in which the prejudices of 
parties are mostly worn off, the rage of dispute 
abated, and men disposed to hear truth and obey 
reason ; such peaceful, happy days are design- 
ed by Heaven, and ought to be employed by 
men, to repair in religion, what has been pulled 
down by mad passions, in turbulent times; 
to restore to its first beauty, whatever has 
been defaced by party prejudices in the days 
of contention ; and to recover the purity of 
our faith, and decency of our worship, from 
the rust and low superstition which they have 
contracted in the ignorant ages, and tinctures 
of enthusiasm they imbibed in the shock and 
tumult of the reformation. There was no 
church that met with greater opposition, or 
was more violently agitated than ours ; and 
though (thank God) it stood out the storm, 
yet it suffered very severely ; and when the 
fury was in some degree abated, and men had 
time to look about them, our Church appeared 
little better than a ruin : her sacred buildings 
levelled with the ground, or bare, shattered 
walls, the standing monuments of religious 
madness ; her treasures robbed by sacrilegious 
hands ; her registers destroyed, or carried off ; 
her funds applied to profane uses ; and her 
clergy left to starve. Would to God she had 
suffered only in these less essential things. 

But along with these, she contracted a sin- 
gular and whimsical taste ; her principles of 
faith grew dark and mysterious, and her meth- 
od of worship defective and unreasonable. — ■ 



THE MINISTERS, kc. 5 

Some of these ruins she never can repair : 
some of them, indeed, time has in a great mea- 
sure patched up ; and some of them remain to 
be repaired by the present rulers of our church, 
or by succeeding generations. Of this kind 
is our public worship ; in which there are 
several things that demand your serious atten- 
tion, and call loudly for the diligence and learn- 
ing of the present age. I will presume, with 
due deference, to point out a few of them ; 
hoping that my poor endeavours may at least 
obtain pardon, out of respect to the importance 
of the subject and the sincerity of my intention, 
and that some able head and good heart will 
take the hint, and fully point out the flaws in 
our present way of worship, and direct us how 
to amend them. Some unprejudiced and hap- 
py genius may perhaps appear, whose persua- 
sive eloquence, refined expression, and conclu- 
sive arguments, may command attention, and 
gain assent ; in spite of the bigotry of the ig- 
norant, the vain ambition of those that are fond 
of popularity, and the whimsical opinions of 
enthusiasts. Till such an one shall appear, I 
hope you will not take it amiss, that I offer 
my remarks ; especially as I beg leave to as- 
sure you. that this my address does not pro- 
ceed from a fondness of novelty, much less any 
intention to disturb the peace of the church es- 
tablished by law, or indeed from any other or 
any worse motive, than that her public service 
may be such as seems best calculated for pro- 
moting the interests of religion and virtue, and 
most suitable for reasonable creatures to offer, 
and an infinitely wise God to accept. 
A 2 



6 



A LETTER TO 



First, I submit to your serious consideration, 
whether a larger portion of the Scriptures 
should not be read every Lord's day in our 
public assemblies ? The reading of the Scrip- 
tures always made a part of the public ser- 
vices in all the churches of God. The law 
and the prophets were solemnly read* in the 
synagogues every Sabbath day. Our Savior 
countenanced and sanctified this practicet with 
his presence and example. The apostle Paul 
peremptorily commands Timothy to give at- 
tendance to reading, as well as to exhortation 
and doctrine ; and the primitive Church reli- 
giously observed this command, as Justin Mar- 
tyrj bears witness. Upon the day that is 
called Sunday, (says he,) all that live in the 
country, or in the towns, assemble in one 
place ; and the commentaries of the apostles, 
and the writings of the prophets are read, till 
the time allotted for them be expired." INT ay 
more our own directory for public worship, 
(which perhaps may have more weight with 
some than the example of our Savior, the 
command of his apostles, or the practice of the 
purest antiquity,) recommends§ that ordinarily 
one chapter out of each Testament should be 
read at every meeting. I am at a loss whether 
to ascribe the negligence of this essential part 
of our service, to the pride of the clergy, or 
the perverseness of the people. Perhaps it 
may be in some degree owing to both. The 
clergy probably think that it would not give 
them a sufficient opportunity to display their 
own talents ; and the people, that it does not so 



* Acts xv. 28. t Luke iv. 17. 

| Apol. 2d. p. 28. Tertul. ad. Gent. p. 47. §498. 



THE MINISTERS. Lc. 



f 



fully please their ears, always itching with the 
desire of something new. To the first I shall 
only observe, that though we have, as we al- 
ways ought to have, a very great respect for 
the observations and discourses of our spiritual 
guides ; yet at the same time w r e cannot but 
wish to hear what the Spirit saith unto the 
churches, in his own words. We have room 
to wish for this, as we are told by the apostle, 
that the Scriptures are profitable for doctrine, 
for reproof, far correctiom, for instruction in 
righteousness ; and that by them the man of 
God may be made perfect, thoroughly fur- 
nished unto all good works. It is true, you 
indulge us now and then with ten or a dozen of 
verses of pure scripture in our public assem- 
blies ; but as we* have no regular plan of 
reading the Scriptures, of consequence we only 
hear detached places, chosen at the pleasure 
of the preacher, and applied to what purposes 
he thinks fit. This leaves our understandings 
too much in the power of the clergy, and ex- 
poses the simple and ignorant (who make the 
greater part of our congregations) to be sedu- 
ced by the party principles and whimsical opin- 
ions of the preacher. It may at first sight ap- 
pear, that the whole plan of our worship is as 
happily calculated for making a property of 
the laity, and keeping their judgments and con- 
sciences in the power of the parson, as any 
part of the popish system ; for the minister 
needs not read any part of the Scriptures un- 
less he pleases ; he may choose what place 

* Our directory declares, that it is requisite that all the canonical 
books be read over in order : but our Parsons proceed in a very different 
method. 



A LETTER TO 



he thinks proper, may begin where he inclines, 
and break off when he has a mind ; he may 
mangle them in any manner he thinks fit, and 
make them say whatever he would have them 
to say. 

But allow me to tell you, that as the reading 
of the Scriptures in public assemblies, is of 
divine appointment, no power upon earth can 
dispense with the obligation. As they contain 
the articles of our faith, and the rules by which 
we are to regulate our lives, nothing can sup- 
ply, and therefore nothing ought to usurp their 
place ; and as all the reformed churches are 
agreed, that the Scriptures are plain in things 
necessary to salvation, we ought to hear them 
as they are, without your glosses and comments : 
Nay, what can be more effectual for our sal- 
vation, or so proper for instruction, seeing they 
bear witness for themselves, that the word of 
God is sharper than a two-edged sword, 'pierc- 
ing even to the dividing asunder of the soul 
and spirit, and as a discerner of the thoughts 
and intents of the heart ?* That it con- 
verts the soul and makes the simple wise.] 
Is there any thing that can be substituted 
in the place of the Scriptures, from which 
such great and happy effects may be expected? 
But if this shameful negligence be owing to 
the perverse humor of the people, who perhaps 
may think that the reading of the Scriptures is 
a dry insipid part of the service, you will 
not, I hope, take it ill, if I say, that amusements 
are more their errand to church, than instruc- 
tion, and they are more desirous of new words 
than sound doctrine, and that In fact their hearts 

*Heb. iv, 12. fPsalmxix. 7. 



THE MINISTERS &C. 



9 



are carnal, and estranged from the things of the 
Spirit; for the apostle informs us, that the 
natural man receiveth not the things of the 
Spirit, for they are foolishness to him. Pardon 
me if I think that your compliance with this 
humour, is like Aaron's to the folly of the Is- 
raelites. As he sat up a calf made with his 
own hands, to be the object of the people's 
worship, instead of the living God ; so you set 
up your own compositions, to direct the faith 
and regulate the manners of the people, in the 
place of the Scriptures of truth, dictated by the 
Holy Spirit. The service of God, in the way 
of his own appointment, ever was, and ever 
will be disliked by the bulk of the people. 
The Jews would willingly have embraced any 
religion but that which was given them from 
Heaven : they would have sacrificed in any 
place but in that pointed out by their Ma- 
ker ; and tho't no rites burthensome but those 
that God was pleased to appoint : but with res- 
pect to those, the prophet upbraids them with 
saying, as our people say, Behold what a wea- 
riness is it /* It is the business and duty of 
ministers to check and resist this humour of the 
people, and not encourage it by a mean com- 
pliance with a vitiated taste, and a base betray- 
ing of the trust reposed in them : but alas ! 
the taste of the people in this, coincides with 
the inclinations of the pastor, and flatters his 
pride and vanity too much to be restrained. 
However, with all humility I presume to beg, 
that you would be pleased to consider how you 
can answer to God, to your own consciences, 
and to us your hearers, for such a dangerous 
and wilful neglect. 

*Malachi.i. 13. 



10 



A LETTER TO 



As to Praise, we seem to study to give this 
part of our worship as much the air of rustici- 
ty, and contempt of God, as possible ; because 
we thought that the engagement of the heart 
was (as indeed it is) the essence of this part of 
worship, we have whimsically thrown out eve- 
ry thing that helped to engage and elevate the 
heart. Many of the words we use are obsolete 
and low : the versification is mean and barbar- 
ous ; and the music harsh and ill performed. Our 
harmony otherwise not very sweet, is entirely 
lost, and the sense broke off at every line. 
Our posture too, is the most indecent, negli- 
gent, and improper for singing well, that we 
could have contrived. It is true, the posture 
is of no importance, farther than as it expresses 
our reverence to the God whom we worship : 
yet it is as necessary that it should be decent, 
as that our words should be proper ; for both 
are only signs of inward sensations. Should 
we find a fellow crying very bitterly, and danc- 
ing very briskly, these are signs of so oppo- 
site sensations, that we should be apt to imag- 
ine he was distracted : and what shall we con- 
clude, when we hear a congregation addres- 
sing God in some ardent hymn or earnest pe- 
tition, and see them sitting upon their breech, 
or lolling with the most negligent air and pos- 
ture upon their seats ? The signs here point to 
very different sensations ! Quintillian seems to 
think, that there may be a solecism in gesture 
as well as in the expression; and if such a 
thing can be, we seem guilty of a very great 
one, in using the most indifferent, negligent 
posture, when we are employed in the most 



THE MINISTERS, &C. 



11 



interesting and serious affair ; I mean, offering 
praise to the living God. 

I cannot help thinking, that all the rational 
people of our communion must be shocked 
with the indecencies, and follies, that attend the 
administration of our Lord's Supper, known 
among the common people, by the name of an 
occasion. We accuse the Roman Church of 
superstition, and that very justly ; but in this 
instance she may fairly retort, and tell us, that 
we blame in dthers what we approve of, or at 
least allow in ourselves ; for if our people did 
not imagine that there was some superior vir- 
tue, in sermons preached upon these occasions, 
some sanctity in the place, or some merit in 
their attendance, it is unlikely that such num- 
bers, who have no intention to communicate, 
should crowd from all quarters, leave their 
parish churches almost empty, and slight, as 
good sermons, which they might hear without 
the fatigue of travelling, or the inconvenien- 
cies that attend a crowd. Superstition in all 
countries has the same effect, though it may 
be directed to different objects : In Popish 
countries, people crowd from place to place to 
visit the shrines of the saints, and pray before 
the most famous images. In Scotland, they 
run from kirk to kirk, as it were, after the host, 
and flock to see a sacrament, as those to share 
in the procession ; and too many of our peo- 
ple (with shame we must confess) make the 
same use of our occasions, that the papists do 
of their pilgrimages and processions ; that is, 
to indulge themselves in drunkenness, lust, and 
idleness. Most of the servants, when they a- 



12 



A LETTER TO 



gree to serve their tnasters in the western parts 
of the kingdom, make a special provision, 
that they shall have liberty to go to a certain 
numbers of fairs, or to an equal number of sa- 
craments ; and as they consider a sacrament 
or an occasion (as they call the adminstration 
of the Lord's Supper in a neighboring parish) 
in the same light in which they do a fair, so 
they behave at it much in the same manner. 
I defy Italy, in spite of all its superstition, to 
produce a scene better fitted to raise pity and 
regret in a religious, humane and understand- 
ing heart, or to afford an ampler field for ridi- 
cule, to the careless and profane, than what 
they call a field preaching upon one of those 
occasions. At the time of the administration 
of the Lord's Supper (ye know) that upon the 
Thursday, Saturday and Monday, we have 
preaching in the fields near the church, which 
it seems we must not use upon that occasion. 
I have often thought that the frequency of the 
sight makes it familiar, and consequently less 
shocking to you, or, that being in the inner 
circle, you seldom have access to see the inde- 
cency and absurdity of the whole scene ; oth- 
erwise you would not encourage it. Allow me 
then to describe it, as it really is. At first you 
find a great number of men and women lying 
together upon the grass ; here they are sleep- 
ing and snoring, some with their faces towards 
heaven, others with their faces turned down- 
wards, or covered with their bonnets : there 
you find a knot of young fellows and girls 
making assignations to go home together in the 
evening, or to meet in some ale-house : in an- 
other place you see a pious circle sitting 



THE MINISTERS &C. 



round an ale-barrel, many of which stand ready 
upon carts, for the refreshment of the saints, 
The heat of the summer season, the fatigue 
of travelling, and the greatness of the crowd, 
naturally dispose them to drink ; which in- 
clines some of them to sleep, works up the 
enthusiasm of others, and contributes not a lit- 
tle to produce those miraculous conversions 
that sometimes happen at these occasions. 
In a word, in this sacred assembly there is an 
odd mixture of religion, sleep, drinking, court- 
ship, and a confusion of sexes, ages and char- 
acters. When you get a little nearer the 
speaker, so as to be within the reach of the 
sound, though not of the sense of the words, 
for that can only reach a small circle, even 
when the preacher is favored with a calm ; 
and when there happens to be any wind stir- 
ring, hardly one sentence can be heard distinct- 
ly at any considerable distance. In this second 
circle you will find some weeping and others 
laughing, some pressing to get nearer the tent 
or tub in which the parson is sweating, bawl- 
ing, jumping, and beating the desk ; others 
fainting with the stifled heat, or wrestling to 
extricate themselves from the crowd; one 
seems very devout and serious, and the next 
moment is scolding and cursing his neighbor, 
for squeezing or treading on him ; in an instant 
after his countenance is composed to the 
religious gloom, and he is groaning, sighing, 
and weeping for his sins : in a word, there is 
such an absurd mixture of the serious and 
comic, that were we convened for any other 
purpose, than that of worshipping the God 
B 



14 



A LETTER TO 



and Governor of nature, the scene would ex 
ceed all power of face. 

But when one considers what solemn awe 
should accompany the pronunciation of his 
name, and what decent gravity attend his wor- 
ship, and sees such an unhappy contrast, if his 
heart he not entirely unacquainted with the 
feelings of humanity, the sigh will force its 
way, and the pitying tear start into his eye ; 
especially if he knows that many of the clergy 
encourage this absurdity ; that this is the time 
when they vie with one another for popularity, 
and try who can convene the greatest mob ; 
that some of the elders are so fond of these 
religious farces, that they have threatened to 
abandon their chuVches, if the absurd practice 
of preaching without doors should be discon- 
tinued : and that even those of the clergy who 
have sense to perceive its inconveniencies, and 
ingenuity to own that it is wrong, yet want 
courage to oppose the popular frenzy, and res* 
olution to reform what in their own hearts they 
cannot but condemn. Whether we consider 
this practice in a moral, political, or religious 
light, we shall find it attended with very bad 
consequences. How much must it encourage 
drunkenness, when such crowds are convened 
from all quarters ? What must the conse- 
quence be,when a whole country side is thrown 
loose, and young fellows and girls are going 
home together by night in the gayest season 
of the year, when every thing naturally in- 
spires warm desires, and silence, secrecy and 
darkness naturally encourage them ? When I 
was a young fellow at my apprenticeship, I 
was a great frequenter of these occasions, and 
know them so well, that whatever otbp^c 



THE MINISTERS, &C. 



15 



think, I would not choose a wife that had often 
frequented them, nor trust a daughter too 
much among those rambling' saints. Old 
maids may perhaps be allowed to revenge 
themselves of the world, by growing religious 
at the easy rate of running from sacrament to 
sacrament ; and they who are in pain to be 
provided with husbands, may possibly find 
their account in frequenting *those sacred as- 
semblies ; but I would advise others to go but 
seldom, and never to a greater distance than 
that they can return before sunset ; lest by fre- 
quenting them too much, they contract an idle 
disposition of mind, and by staying too late, 
they get into a bad habit of body. — Nor are the 
consequences of this practice, considered in a 
political light, more favorable than in a moral. 
Our church disclaims all holy days, and I 
should offend at once against truth and the 
rules of our church, if I said that we observed 
any such ; but I presume that the number of 
our idle days will fall very little short of the 
number in the popish calender ; and all the 
difference is, that th^eir holy days are fixt, and 
our idle days moveable ; theirs are dedicated 
to some saint, and ours are devoted to some 
occasion ; theirs foster superstition and idle- 
ness, and so do ours ; theirs are signalized 
now and then by miraculous cures, by which 
the patient's health is seldom bettered, and 
ours by miraculous conversions,* by which the 
converts' morals are rarely mended ; and to do 
the papists justice, they deal more fairly in 
their miracles than we ; for a man can see if a 
crooked limb be made straight, because it is 

* See two volumes published at Glasgow, by Mr, Gillies. 



16 



A LETTER TO 



the object of the senses ; but a miracle wrought 
instantaneously in the mind must be taken up- 
on the word of the patient or the parson ; but 
the truth is, their holy days, and our idle 
days, whatever miracles they may produce, 
do hurt to true religion : the people lose 
many laboring days by them, and the coun- 
try is deprived of the fruits of their indus- 
try. I have seen above three thousand peo- 
ple at one of these occasions. But suppos- 
ing that one with another, there are only fif- 
teen huudred, and that each of them, one 
with another, might earn Qd. a day. Every 
sacrament, by its three idle days, will cost the 
country much about 112/. 10s. sterling, not in- 
cluding the days that they who live at a great 
distance must lose in coming and going, nor 
the losses that the farmer must sustain, when 
occasions happen in the hay, harvest or seed 
times ; the man of business, when they chance 
to fall upon market days ; or the tradesman, 
when any particular piece of work is in hand 
that requires despatch. Now, supposing the 
sacrament should be administered only twice a 
year in all our churches, which, if it be not, it 
ought to be, these occasions, as they are man- 
aged at present, will cost Scotland at least 
235,000/. sterling ; an immense sum for ser- 
mons ! the greater part of which might be' 
saved, much disorder and irregularity prevent- 
ed, would the assembly be graciously pleased 
to appoint some particular Sundays in the four 
seasons, for the administration of this sacra- 
ment over all the kingdom.* We were too 

This was the method for several years about the time of the 
reformation. 



THE MINISTERS, kc 



17 



fond of novelties, and perhaps too proud of our 
own judgments, when we altered established 
practices founded on reason, and approved by 
long experience : and we could hardly have 
pitched upon a more unnatural method thai 
the present, consider it in what light you will ; 
for if the design of this sacrament, next to 
setting forth the death of our Lord, be to re- 
main as a pledge of love and charity among 
Christians, it does not with us at all seem to 
answer the design ; as our congregations, like 
discontented children, take a private hour, as 
it were, and eat their bread by themselves in a 
corner; whereas all the rest of the Christian 
world do, Christian like, communicate togeth- 
er three times in the year ; and as they show 
forth the same meritorious death, they show it 
forth at the same season, and, like brethren, 
sit down at once to the same love feast. 

But beside this, the great noise that we 
make about these occasions, leads our people 
to lay too great a stress upon them, and 
to imagine that there is something meritorious, 
nay, that the life of religion lies in hearing a 
great number of sacramental sermons ; they 
serve nearly the same ends in our church that 
confession and absolution do among the papists. 
Our people put on a very demure look, some 
days before the sacrament ; the gloom gradu- 
ally gathers upon their faces as it approaches, 
and they look like criminals going to execu- 
tion when the day is come. Just so may it 
be seen in the popish countries, in the seasons 
set apart for confession and penance ; but in 
both countries, the professed repentance proves 
only a flash of devotion, and, as if matters 
B 2 



18 A LETTER TO 

were made up with the Deity, and all former 
accounts cleared, the papist soon puts off his 
penitential countenance, and the presbyteriaa 
lays by his sacramental face, and they and we, 
in a little time, are the same men that we were 
before. 

And as these occasions make our people 
lay too great a stress upon the outward means, 
while they neglect the great end of all religion, 
I mean to better the heart, and reform the con- 
duct ; so they raise contentions, heart burn- 
ings, envy and factions among our clergy, 
while they contend for popularity, vie with one 
another who shall convene the greatest crowd, 
and work up the mob to the highest pitch of 
enthusiasm ; and they often succeed so well, 
that they bring the weak and ignorant, to the 
very brink of downright madness. I have 
seen scenes of this nature that had much 
more of the fury of the bacchanalia, than the 
calm, serious, sincere devotion of a christian 
sacrament. It is here that the ministers dis* 
play that false eloquence which catches the 
crowd, and consists in a strong voice, a melan- 
choly tone, and thundering out at random, 
damnation, death and hell, fire and flames, dev- 
ils, darkness and gnashing of teeth ; and any 
one who has good lungs, and can borrow the 
beggars cant, and the merry andrew^s action, 
may become very popular, and make a great 
figure at an occasion ; for the contention there, 
is not who shall reason most justly, deliver 
most gracefully, or direct their discourse in 
the best manner for bettering the hejart and re- 
forming the manners of the audience ; but 
who shall appear most frantic, cry loudest, 



THE MINISTERS &C. 



speak with the deepest, strangest and most 
hollow tone ; and be most wrapt up in myste- 
ry and scholastic terms. I have known these 
qualifications make nonsense triumph over 
sense, ignorance be preferred to learning ; and 
incoherent, unintelligible, nay, contradictory 
rhapsodies, be received with admiration by the 
gazing crowd ; while plain, learned and pious 
sermons, delivered with a becoming modesty 
and gravity, have been preached almost to the 
empty pews. Quintillian, assigning the rea- 
sons why the ignorant orators were heard with 
more applause by the mob, than the ingenious 
and learned, paints so justly the methods by 
which our ministers contend for popularity at 
the occasions, that the passage is worth trans- 
cribing. Clamant ubique, et omnia levata (ul 
ipsi dicunt} manu emugiunt, multo discursu, 
anhelinu jactatione, gesta, motuque capitis 
furentes — mire ad pullatum circulum facit — 
cum ille eruditus modestus et esse, et videri 
mailt — at illi hanc vim appellant, que est po- 
tins violentia.* 

The art of managing mankind, (says Addi- 
son, speaking of quacks in physic) is only to 
make them stare a little, to keep up their as- 
tonishment, and to let nothing be familiar to 
them. This art is perfectly well understood 
by our parsons ; for at these occasions, they 
try who shall make the people stare most ; and 

*Q,uintil. Inst. lib. ii. cap. 12. They always cry loud, and deliv- 
er all their discourse in a sort of extasy, with" a hollow bellowing 
tone, a frantic action, deep sighs, furious gestures, violent tossing of 
their arms, and mad-like motions of their heads. It's wonderful 
what effect these things have upon the surrounding mob. A man 
of learning suits his pronunciation and action to his subject, chooses 
to be modest, and to appear so. They call this delivering their dis- 
course with force, thoagh it be rather with fury, 



20 



A LETTER TO 



sometimes, they make them stare so long, and 
so eagerly, that the poor people turn almost 
stark staring mad : we are damned an hun- 
dred times over in one day, and damned too 
without any sort of discretion ; for most of 
our ministers that I have had occasion to hear, 
seem to have embraced, and do certainly prop- 
agate Hoadley's notion of the sacrament 
of the supper ; and yet they go on damn- 
ing us still, when Hheir master says, and 
they sometimes say, that the communion is lit- 
tle more than a mere ceremony. Poor lay- 
men, I own, ought not to presume to dictate to 
the parson what notions he is to embrace and 
teach : but I humbly hope that we have a 
right to exp.ect that the parson be consistent 
with himself, so far at least as not to damn us, 
where at other times he teaches us there is no 
danger. 

But as it is not likely that these opportunities 
of speaking great and swelling zvords* will be 
given up, while men are so presumptuous and 
self-willed ; 1 submit to your consideration 
whether it would not be proper to pitch upon 
the place designed for the scene of the field- 
preaching, at least upon the communion Sun- 
day, at a considesable distance from the church. 
This would draw off the mob : the contrast 
between the solemn action within doors and 
the comical scene without, would be less strik- 
ing : the communicants would breathe a freer 
air ; they would be less distracted in their de- 
votions, have easier access to come up to the 
table, or to return to their seats ; and the 
whole might be transacted with less bustle 

* 2 Peter ii. 18, 



THE MINISTERS, &C 21 

and confusion, and with more decency and or- 
: der. As it is managed at present, it is liker 
any thing than the administration of the sup- 
per of our Lord. Not a man among us would 
be content with a common meal served up in 
such confusion. I am sure that it is impossi- 
ble for me, and I believe it is very difficult for 
any one, to carry up with him that sedateness 
of soul and calmness of thought, that I pre- 
sume to think are necessary, when he ap- 
proaches the table of the Lord. How should 
he ? when he is forced to wrestle through a 
crowd, to push and be pushed, stunned with a 
general hubbub, the seats rattling, the galleries 
sounding, the people singing, the communicants 
jostling one another in the crowded passages ; 
some falling, others fainting, and in all corners 
of the church, hurry, confusion and noise, I 
never see our tables* filled up, but it gives me 
an idea of the distraction at Babel, when the 
confusion of languages began to be felt. I 
submit it, whether the apostle's censure of 
the Corinthian church be not pertinent here ; 
This is not to eat the Lord's supper .f 

Perhaps the communicants should be left a 
little more to their own meditations ; at least, 
for my own part, I could wish, that while the 
elements are handing about, there were ob- 
served (if it be possible) a solemn and univer- 
sal silence ; that we might have time for our 
private devotions, and an opportunity to ask a 

* In the kirks in Scotland they have long tables, at which they 
sit and communicate : they will hold about a hundred or more ; and 
when these remove to make room for others, there is the utmost con- 
fusion, as the kirk is crowded with spectators ; and one part is 
struggling to get from the table, and the other wrestling to get Us 
it 

f 2 Corinth, ii. 20. 



22 



A LETTER TO 



blesssing of God, upon his word and ordinan- 
ces ; especially, as it is either forbidden, or be- 
come unfashionable with us, to do so when we 
take our seats, or finish the service. These 
things I have mentioned, and I submit my 
thoughts to the wisdom and candor of the ru- 
lers of our church. 

There still remains a very solemn and inter- 
esting part of our worship, I mean that of 
public Prayer, upon which I beg leave, with, 
all submission, to make some few remarks ; 
earnestly entreating that they may be consid- 
ered with calmness and impartiality by your 
reverences and the other members of our 
church ; and that though my sentiments should 
not please, yet in charity, you will believe 
that I wish well to the protestant cause, the in- 
terest of religion, and the purity and peace of 
the church of Scotland, These, I presume to 
think, would be greatly promoted, by the com- 
position and establishment of some devout lit- 
urgy, or form of prayer, for public worship. 
Have patience, and hear me out. I was once 
as much prejudiced against a proposal of this 
nature, as you can be at present; and if you 
will consider the inconveniences that attend 
our present way of worship, as calmly as I 
think I have done, you may perhaps see the 
necessity and advantages of a form of prayer 
as clearly as I do. 

I beseech you then to reflect, that our pres- 
ent extemporary way of worship, is contrary 
to the practice and opinion of all mankind, in 
all ages, and of all religions ; until it was in- 
troduced amidst the ferment and confusion of 
the 15th century j for before that time, whatev- 



THE MINISTERS, kc. 



23 



er was the object of men's worship, whatever 
the matter of their prayers, or however widely 
they differed in the articles of their creed, yet 
they agreed as unanimously in the use of 
forms of prayer for their public worship, as 
they did in the belief of a God. Greeks and 
Romans, the Magi and the Mahometans, Jews 
and Christians, have all agreed in this practice. 
I have often heard our Mass John, honest man, 
urge the universal consent and opinion of man- 
kind, against the Atheists, as a proof of the 
existence of a Deity. If this argument be 
conclusive, when applied to the first and great- 
est article of religion, I mean the existence of 
a God, sure it will be so too, with respect to 
the best and fittest way of worshipping him. 
But what is still more, God himself prescribed 
this way of worship to the Jews, as in the cas- 
es of murder, when the person who commit- 
ted it was unknown ; of suspicion of adulte- 
ry ; and when the first fruits were presented. 
His Son, out Saviour, honoured this way of 
worship with his presence ; (for the worship 
of the synagogues was by a form of prayer;) 
he sanctified it by his practice ; for in his ag- 
ony in the garden, he arose up, awaked and 
rebuked the disciples, returned to the same 
place, repeated the same form of words three 
times over ; and before he expired upon the 
cross, he offered up his devotions, in the words 
of ihe twenty-second Psalm. He authorized 
it by his command. For our directory for 
prayer informs us, that our Lord's prayer is 
not only a pattern for prayer, but is itself a 
most comprehensive prayer. So that, if the 
command of God himself, the example r prac- 



24 



A LETTER TO 



tice and command of his Son, be sufficient to 
point out in what way he would be worship- 
ped, a form of prayer is pointed out for that 
purpose : whereas it cannot be proved that ev- 
er God commanded extemporary public pray- 
er ; that ever his Son attended worship per^ 
formed in that way ; that he ever practised it, 
or ever commanded it ; nay, I am not certain 
that there is one example of extemporary public 
prayer in the Bible ; at least, I am sure there 
is not an instance that will correspond with 
our situation, or authorize us in the use of it, 
when so many and so great inconveniences do 
attend it. 

-We complain, and very justly too, that the 
popish clergy are too assuming ; and claim a 
superiority over the laity, inconsistent with the 
natural rights of mankind, and the relations of 
brethren formed by the covenant of grace. 
Pardon me, gentlemen, if I say that you claim 
a very extraordinary sovereignty over the lai- 
ty in the case before us. Every one of you 
claims an exclusive privilege of manufactur- 
ing our public prayers, and assumes a right of 
making us say to the Deity, whatever he 
thinks fit. In the most momentous affair in 
which we can be concerned on earth, we must 
depend entirely upon the discretion, honesty 
and ability of every private parson, and take 
the words and matter of our addresses to our 
God and Maker, such as he is pleased to give ; 
without ever seeing, examining or judging for 
ourselves. This is really treating us as if we 
were children or fools. We allow that you 
have a right to offer our prayers ; and as it is 
not fit that we should all speak, the minister 



r 



THE MINISTERS, &X. 



25 



may be called the mouth of the congregation ; 
but the mouth of the congregation, should 
speak the mind of the congregation. In our 
congregations, the mouth runs before the 
mind, and speaks without giving us any op- 
portunity of thinking that we ought to speak; 
and often says things that we should certainly 
reject ; and sometimes offers petitions that 
we should absolutely abhor, had we time 
calmly to examine them. Our mouth leads 
us into the gross blunder of presenting our 
addresses to the Deity first, and next judging 
whether they be proper addresses after they 
are offered, when we cannot mend what is 
wrong, or alter what is improper. We ab- 
surdly begin where we should end : for, in the 
natural order of things, the congregation 
should first be satisfied that the prayers are 
proper to be offered, and then the minister 
should offer them in their name : just as a 
prudent man would think before he speaks. 
But in our admirable plan of worship, the con- 
gregation speaks by its mouth, before it has 
considered what it has to say. That is, the 
parson offers up the petition, and the people 
may judge of its propriety after it is offered, 
if they please. 

The absurdity here is so glaring, that it is 
astonishing that it escapes the observation of 
the laity ; and it would not escape them in any 
other instance. Should the ablest member of 
the house of commons propose to offer an 
address to his majesty in the name of the 
house, without communicating it to the mem- 
bers, the impropriety would be immediately 
perceived. When the estates, or counties, 
C 



A LETTER TO 



design to address their Sovereign, offer your 
service, and tell them, " Pray, gentlemen, give 
yourselves no trouble about the matter; we 
and our brethren will each of us address the 
king in our own way; trust the whole affair 
to us; every individual of the cloth is more 
than sufficient for the undertaking; it is your 
business to approve of whatever we are pleas- 
ed to say for you; or at least, you may con- 
sider how you like the address after it has been 
offered." Take this advice, and try if the lai- 
ty will be as complaisant with respect to the 
honor of their prince, and the concerns of 
their bodies, as they are with respect to the 
honor of their God, and the interests of their 
souls ; yet one would be tempted to think (if 
the common consent of this nation were not 
against the opinion) that the laity are as much 
interested in an address to the Deity, as in one 
to the king; and that they would be at least as 
loth to trust the first, as the last, to the discre- 
tion, ability or honesty of every man who chan- 
ced to put on a black coat, or wear a starched 
band. But the grossest absurdities will be 
swallowed down when it is fashion; and I 
think there can hardly be a grosser one, than 
that a gentleman should mount the pulpit, of 
whose principles or discretion we have no 
knowledge at all, and that this man should have 
a right to dictate the prayers of the whole con- 
gregation. If we will believe the author of 
the Characteristics,* who seems to speak from 
experience, there are among you many whose 
principles are very dangerous, and very incon- 
sistent with the religion of Jesus; yet these 

* Ecclesiastical Characteristics, published at Glasgow, 1756. 



THE MINISTERS, &X. 



27 



men not only lead, but even compose the de- 
votions of the people, and make us poor lay- 
men address our Maker upon any principles 
that they please. 

I have come from my house a sound ortho- 
dox Christian, and have hardly taken my seat 
in the church, when I have found myself pray- 
ing, or at least one was praying in my name, 
as a rank Socinian. I have been made an 
Arian. as to my prayers, very often ; and in 
short, there has hardly any whimsical opinion 
been broached among the clergy for these for- 
ty years, that I have not some time or other 
found mixed with my public prayers, though, 
for my part, I am a plain old fashioned man, 
and content myself with the apostles' creed. 
Sometimes, indeed, for my heart, I could not 
have told upon what particular principles my 
prayers were offered : they were so excellently 
well contrived, and so free from all narrow no- 
tions* that they would have served a Jewish 
synagogue, a Mahometan mosque, or a congre 
gation of Persian magi, as well, or better, 
than a Christian assembly. If the minister 
that officiates be a sceptic, I am made to 
pray like a sceptic : If an enthusiast, he 
addresses God in my name, according to 
his own enthusiastical notions : When he 
chances to be a factious firebrand, or a keen 
party-man, though I be a very peaceable 
tradesman, my prayers breathe faction, my de- 
votions in public are rlaming with party heat, 
and tinctured with the fury of his faction. It 
is well known, that when any disputes happen, 
and differences arise among the cisrsfy m their 
synods or assemblies, both ^iies appeal to 
Heaven in their public prayers, and force the 



A LETTER TO 



laity to appeal with them, (we are not supposed 
to have any right to judge for ourselves in | 
these cases :) and what is even worse, by an 
unlucky change of ministers, or by stepping i 
into another church, I have often been made 
to appeal to Heaven as an advocate for both 
sides of the question, and pray for and against 
each of the parties in one day : for though our 
churches have the appearance of the same 
worship, yet in fact their worship is as different 
as the tempers, principles, and parties of the 
parsons who manufacture it ; and this leads 
the laity into the dangerous blunder of offering 
contradictory petitions, and praying at different 
times, upon principles as opposite from one 
another, as light is to darkness. It is not an 
unusual thing among us, to pray for and against 
presentations, in one week. I have thanked 
God for his decrees of election and reprobation* 
in the forenoon ; and in the afternoon, offered 
my humble thanks that all men have equal ac- 
cess to salvation by faith and virtue. In a 
word, there is no party, nor different principle 
among our clergy, with respect to which, I 
have not been made to play fast and loose with 
the Deity; to ask what I did not want, and to 
pray against what I most earnestly wished for. 
This we call worshipping God ! but did we 
deal so with our fellow-men, they would call 
it mockery, and take it as a gross affront. — I 
cannot help thinking, gentlemen, that this will 
appear, even to yourselves, a hard treatment 
of the laity ; and that you will acknowledge, 
that their judgment ought not to be so entirely 
made a property of, as to oblige them to have 
their public worship offered upon what princi- 



THE MINISTERS &C. 



pies the parson pleases to espouse ; or upon 
opposite principles, as the minister, for the 
time, is of this, or the other party. One of 
your cloth complains that we betray a visi- 
ble impatience till prayer be over* Is it 
any wonder if we do ? For, as it is managed at 
present, prayer is to us a very dangerous part 
of worship : for as that judicious gentleman 
observes, A great deal more, a vast deal more 
depends upon our performance of this duty with 
judgment and propriety, than most people seem 
to be aware of — They who are aware of this, 
cannot help being impatient and uneasy, when a 
duty of such vast importance, is trusted to every 
individual of the clergy : and they who seldom 
think of its nature or importance, will always 
esteem it as a dry and lifeless part of our ser- 
vice. 

I am apt to think, that it is sometimes happy 
for our laity, that they only hear prayers as they 
do sermons, and cannot, I believe, as it is at 
present performed, or at least, I am sure do 
not, join in it. For though it be criminal 
not to worship God in public, yet it seems to 
be as great, if not a greater crime, to of- 
fer an irrational worship; to insult him with 
contradictory petitions ; with ministers of op- 
posite parties ; and to have our devotions tinc- 
tured with the spirit of faction, the wild dreams 
of enthusiasts, the dangerous notions of sceptics, 
and the absurd follies of men whose heads are 
filled with vapours and whims. Though these 
should sometimes be mixed with your discours- 
es, the hardship and danger would not be 

* Mr. Fordice's Edification by public Institution. 



C 2 



A LETTER T?0 



half so great. If they did not instruct, they 
might amuse ; and we needed not " embrace 
your notions, unless we pleased ; our own rea- 
son might resist , or some approved printed 
sermons might expel the poison. But when 
they are wrought into our public prayers, there 
remains no remedy ; we must take these as 
you are pleased to give them, or go away with- 
out public worship. 

The popish clergy, indeed, put a great 
hardship upon the laity, by offering their pray- 
ers in an unknown tongue : but though the 
hardship be great, it admits of some remedies. 
They may have their prayers translated into 
their respective languages; they may have 
them explained by those that understand the 
language ; and constant use x>f the same forms, 
may in time enable them to annex proper ideas 
to the words. But the hardship put upon us, 
admits of no remedy : we must offer what 
prayers every clergyman pleases ; we must 
understand them the best way we can ; we 
must pick up the' words as we can catch them, 
according to the strength of your voices, the 
distinctness of your pronunciation, and the 
largeness of the church : the fall of a bible, 
the opening of a seat, or a cough in any cor- 
ner of the church, will lose us half a sentence. 
And yet, if we would pray with the under- 
standing, we mqgt collect the several parts of 
the sentence, supply the words that are lost, 
compare it with what went before, examine, 
approve, and offer it ; and this must be all 
done in a breath. I question whether the par- 
son^ could perform this task himself: and I am 
convinced that it is impossible for the slow and 



THE MINISTERS, &C. 



ignorant part of the audience, especially as 
some of you speak so fast, that we cannot 
keep pace with you, barely in hearing what you 
say ; others deliver so slowly, that our memo- 
ries cannot serve us, to collect the several 
parts of the sentence ; some are so fond of 
new and learned words, that one half of the 
congregation cannot know their meaning ; and 
many of you have such/ a perplexed, intricate 
way of expressing yourselves, that we find it 
impossible to discover the import of your pe- 
titions ; and perhaps should find this a difficult 
task, though we had an opportunity to consid- 
er them, at leisure in our closets. 

So that, putting all these difficulties togeth- 
er, I imagine that it will appear, that the laity 
of the kirk of Scotland, lie under greater hard- 
ships, with respect to public worship, than the 
laity of any church upon earth. And this 
hardship is made still more galling, to those 
who have sense enough to feel it, by the pdmp- 
ous harrangues that we are frequently enter- 
tained with, upon the privileges that we pos- 
sess above other Christians, the religious lib- 
erty that we enjoy, and the singular purity of 
our worship. Sure, gentlemen, you must 
mean yourselves, when you ascribe these great 
blessings to our church, or you insult us in the 
most cruel manner. If you mean that you 
enjoy great privileges, and a most extensive 
liberty, it is- very true : for you pray what you 
please, you sing what you please, you teach 
what you please, and your whole public wor- 
ship is so much of your own manufacturing, 
that there can hardly be found room for a 
verse 'qt two of scripture ; and these you 



choose as you please. In a word, every par- 
ish minister is a little pope, subject to none 
but a general council ; and, like the great 
pope, not subject to that but when he pleases. 
For it seems to be a point as much disputed 
in the presbyterian church, whether a minister 
is obliged to submit to the sentence of a gene- 
ral assembly, as it is in the popish, whether 
his holiness ought to yield obedience to a gen- 
eral council. So that it must be acknowledg- 
ed, that you enjoy very great privileges, and a 
most extensive liberty. But pray what privi- 
leges do we enjoy, when one man's judgment 
prescribes to a whole parish ? When we must 
pray for or against whatever party the parson 
pleases ? Offer our devotions according to the 
religious or political principles that the min- 
ister for the time chooses to embrace ? Shift 
sides as your humors change, and address our 
God, as Arians, Socinians, or Sceptics, as the 
gentleman in the pulpit is inclined ? Sure, if 
our civil liberty were not something more sub* 
stantial, we should be the greatest slaves in 
Europe ! Again, what purity can there possi- 
bly be in our worship, when the passions, prej- 
udices, and whimsical opinions of every minis- 
ter may, and do mix with it ? I have always 
been at a loss to determine, whether your con- 
fidence in entertaining us with such harangues, 
and your power of face in keeping your coun- 
tenances, and stifling the laugh, or our 
stupidity in not perceiving the gross affront, 
and patience in not resenting it, were most 
to be admired. I cannot imagine that you 
are so weak as to think, with the bulk of 
our people, that our worship must of* conse- 



THE MINISTERS kc. 



S3 



quence be pure, if it be different from the 
practice of the Church of Rome : and that 
we can only err upon the side of superstition. 
If this be your opinion, it resembles the con- 
duct of some Germans, of whom I have read, 
who, for fear of the Roman army, ran into a 
river and were drowned. Just so the greater 
part of our people, (for I believe better things 
of you.) conclude that our worship must be pure, 
if we do not worship images, pray to saints, 
or adore the Virgin Mary ; though it be mixed 
with the whimsical notions, enthusiastic opin- 
ions and silly nostrums, of every quack 
doctor in divinity. It would be happy if you 
would content yourselves, with insulting the 
people only, with such harangues : but you of- 
ten make them insult their God, or at least, you 
do it in their names, by thanking him for es- 
tablishing a pure worship, which he did not 
establish : a worship which cannot possibly 
be pure ; and which even in your own opinion 
is not pure, for if the moderate party consists 
of such ministers as the author of the Charac- 
teristics* (who is said to be one of your order) 
has represented them to the world. God have 
mercy upon the souls committed to their care ! 
and may the Almighty pity and relieve the 
congregations whose devotions they compose, 
dictate, and offer. Yet, in all probability, if 
the moderate men were to write characteris- 
tics, they would give us as forbidding a picture 
of the party that our author is pleased to call 
orthodox. What then must become of us poor 
laymen, whose souls are bandied about be- 
tween the factions, and our prayers offered 

* Ecclesiastical Characteristics, published at Glasgow, 1756. 



34 



A LETTER TO 



sometimes upon the principles of one, and 
sometimes upon the principles of the other? 
Would it not be happy for us that we had some 
pious primitive form of prayer, that would se- 
cure the purity and reasonableness of our pray- 
ers, let the minister's private opinions be what 
they would ? As things are at present, it is im- 
possible that our service can be either reason- 
able, perfect or pure ; unless we can suppose, 
that our church has a privilege, which no other 
church upon earth ever had or ever claimed. 
I mean, that no weak or whimsical minister, no 
factious fire-brand, no sceptic or enthusiast, 
can mount our pulpits : or that after men of 
these characters get into them, they will pray 
better than they are able, upon principles that 
they do not believe, or with a calmness which 
they do not possess. Now, supposing that there 
are only* an hundred of our ministers of some or 
other of the above characters, and that one with 
another each of them has five hundred souls un- 
der his charge, there will be fifty thousand per- 
sons in Scotland, who never worship God in pub- 
lic in the way of his own appointment, and whose 
public worship must be dangerous to them- 
selves and unacceptable to the Deity. Where 
must the blood of these poor people fall, but 
upon the rulers of the church ? who, though 
they have found by fatal experience, that all 
the subscriptions in the world, will not hinder 
men of pernicious principles from creeping 
into the church, yet will not take the only ef- 
fectual method to prevent them from doing 
mischief there. 

* This is not an unreasonable calculation, in these latter ages, 
considering that there was one of twelve who proved a traitor, even 
when our Lord was visibly present with his Church. 



THE MINISTERS, &C. 



i But besides the injustice of assuming to 
ourselves a right to dictate to us what prayers 
^ou please ; besides the absurdity of making" us 
)ffer contradictory petitions, and leaving our 
public worship exposed to the whims and follies 
of the sceptic and enthusiast, there are many 
other inconveniences that attend our present 
method. First, it is a question whether the laity 
can join at all in our public prayers. For we 
must either suppose that they go along with the 
minister, offering every word as he utters it, 
or wait until he has finished the sentence, and 
then examine it, and give their assent. If the 
first be their method, it is evident that they 
place an absurd and dangerous confidence in 
the honesty and ability of the parson, and em- 
brace in their prayers, all the whimsical no- 
tions, and pernicious principles, that he may 
chance to mix with them : and further, that 
many of them will, like parrots, talk what they 
do not understand ; since many words will oc- 
cur whose meaning and importance they are 
not able at all to conceive. At least, I find it 
so with myself. Perhaps our people may be 
inspired with more than ordinary penetration, 
in the time of prayer ; but at other times, 1 find 
it difficult enough to make many of them com- 
prehend an ordinary message, delivered in the 
plainest words that I can possibly find : and 
after repeating it over and over again, have the 
mortification to rind, that they misunderstand 
me, though the whole passage does not exceed 
two sentences. That these "men should under- 
stand all the expressions in an extempore pray- 
er, and with their understandings and judg- 



36 



A LETTER TO 



ments keep pace with the minister for half an 
hcur, or twenty minutes, to me appears impos-j 
sible ; and I believe, will appear even to you,) 
very miraculous. But suppose that our peo- 
pie wait till the minister has finished the sen- 
tence, and then compare the several parts, ex- 
amine the whole, and give their assent ; God 
knows how unfit many of them are for this 
task. But let them be ever so fit, if a word be 
lost, if a word occurs whose meaning they do 
not understand, or if the arrangement of the 
words be perplexed, it is evident that they can- 
not give a rational assent ; and if they take time 
to examine what may be suspicious, to supply 
what is lost, or to unravel what is perplexed, 
let them be as quick as they will, the subsequent 
sentence will be lost. I do not indeed suppose 
that the bulk of our congregations ever dreamt 
of these difficulties ; because they give them- 
selves no trouble about understanding, examin- 
ing, or assenting : but content themselves with 
being humble hearers, and perhaps in all their 
lives, never once gave a sincere and rational 
amen to public prayers ; though hearing anoth- 
er pray, and joining in prayer, be very different 
things. 

Another inconvenience that attends our way 
of worship, is, that young gentlemen, just come 
from the university, full fraught with philoso- 
phy, and fond of shewing their learning, very 
injudiciously vent their notions in our public 
prayers. A young spruce gentleman, the 
other Sunday, converted us in an instant, from 
plain country people, into profound philos- 
phers; and these too, of the dogmatical kind : 



THE MINISTERS, 



37 



for we told God Almighty many things concern- 
ing his own works, which the learned gentle- 
man, it seems, thought he did not know before ; 
many things that we neither understood nor 
believed: we travelled so high that our heads 
began to turn : and after all lost our gentleman, 
for fifteen minutes, among other things that he 
called vortices : and began indeed to suspect 
that he was swallowed up by them, or gone 
where Milton tells us all vain and empty things 
go: - 

Up whirl' d aloft, 

Fly o'er the backside of the world far off. 
Into a limbo lar^e and broad, since call'd 
The Paradise of Fools.* 

Whether he visited that place or not, we 
cannot tell ; but we found him at last upon 
earth chasing a mole. Had he been pleased 
to tell us these things, stripped of their philo- 
sophic garb, in a sermon, some of them might 
have been entertaining, some of them useful, 
and most of them tolerable : but to make us 
inform the Deity of things that we neither 
knew nor believed, and as it were, instruct our 
Maker in the nature, beauty, and order of his 
own works, (I humbly think,) was imprudent 
and presumptuous. However, he made a shift 
by new-coined words, and terms of art, to be 
far above the reach of our understandings ; and 
to pray with him we must have read Euclid, 
studied Newton's works more than our Bibles, 
and brought half a dozen of dictionaries to 
church with us, to help us to the meaning of 
his words. The gentleman, however, obtained 
his end ; the people stared, and when they 

* Milton's Paradise Lost, book iii. 495. 

D 



38 



came out, concluded that he was admirably 
learned, and that none was so fit to be their H 
minister. Upon this whirn^ they vigorously ' 
opposed the settlement of a pious and pru- \ 
dent gentleman, presented to the charge by the 
patron, and are most piously supported in their . 
wise opposition, by a set of the clergy, I sup- 
pose, for conscience sake. But I beg pardon i 
digression is a fault. My business is only with 
our public worship ; and I flatter myself that 
you will own, that upon that Sunday, it was but 
poorly performed : yet such farces as these we 1 
are often forced to bear with. And instead of 
the humble expressions of penitents, the con- 
cise petitions of poor mortals, and the grateful 
thanksgivings of rational creatures, to their 
merciful God, our prayers frequently consist 
of the foolish ostentation of learning, and the 
harsh jargon of hard words. 

Neither does our worship suffer more by 
the ostentatious folly, and pedantic humor of 
our young Domines, than by the natural and 
necessary decays of the invention, memory, 
and judgment of our aged ministers. For as 
the clergy are foolish enough to vie in the ex- 
penses of dress, table and equipage, with the 
landed gentlemen, most of them are unable, 
and all of them are unwilling, to call an assist- 
ant, as long as they are able to creep into a 
pulpit, and prattle out something like a prayer : 
so that you will frequently find a man invent- 
ing and dictating the devotions of a congrega- 
tion, who is superannuated to all the other af- 
fairs of life. This man, it seems, has a right 
to make us address our Maker, in what manner, 



THE MINISTERS, &C. 



39 



and with what words he thinks proper : though 
in common conversation, we cannot help per- 
ceiving that his memory has lost its strength, 
that his understanding is decayed, and all the 
powers of his mind sadly declined. It would 
perhaps be cruel to give instances of the blun- 
ers, blasphemy, and nonsense, that have been 
mixed with our prayers by this misfortune, 
though many instances might be produced. 
But it is (I humbly think) more cruel, and 
highly unreasonable, to put the aged ministers 
under the necessity of exposing their weakness, 
and dishonouring the service of their Maker ; 
and the laity under the hardship, either of of- 
fering nonsense or blasphemy, instead of pious, 
ardent and expressive prayers, or of reducing 
their minister to want and beggary in his old 
age, by forcing him to call an assistant, wheth- 
er he can maintain him or not : especially as 
all danger might be prevented, and all deficien- 
cies supplied, by composing and establishing 
a pious form of prayer; for he might read a 
prayer very devoutly and distinctly, when he 
cannot invent readily, or dictate an extempora- 
ry prayer to the congregation, with propriety 
and judgment ; or if he chanced to blunder, 
or pronounce indistinctly, having the form be- 
fore us, we could easily supply the defects. 
We could much better put up with the trifling 
in his sermons, and patiently hear him prattle 
u about his subject and about it," because we 
could supply our loss in some measure, by 
reading some of the best sermons ourselves, or 
to our families. But public prayer is a matter 
of that importance, that there is no possibility 



40 



A LETTER TO 



of supplying it by our own industry, no rectify- 
ing mistakes after the prayer is offered, and no 
possibility of preventing yery gross and danger- 
ous blunders, while we perform this part of our 
worship after the present method. For though ( 
our aged ministers should retain all the powers 
of their minds to the last, which is not the case s 
with one in a hundred ; though they should be 
able to invent 'extemporary petitions with pro- 
priety ; yet, as the organs of the body decay, it 
is impossible that they can express them with 
that strength of voice, and distinctness of pro- 
nunciation, which are necessary to us, before 
we can give a rational assent, if we can at all 
give a rational assent, to prayers that we have 
never examined ; no, nor yet the minister him- 
self. The weak voice, the trembling body, the 
want of teeth, and other infirmities incident to 
old age, do often render the pronunciation so 
indistinct, that in our present way of worship, 
one half of the congregation is at as great a loss 
as if the gentleman prayed in an unknown 
tongue ; or at most, they can only pick up a word 
here and there without any connection. Let us 
suppose that among more than a thousand min- 
isters, there are only eighty whose understand- 
ings, or bodily organs are thus decayed; and 
that one with another, each of them has five 
hundred souls under his charge : it would be a 
misfortune to those who are under the care of 
the first, if they did join in the public wor- 
ship as it is performed among them ; and they 
who are under the care of the last, cannot pos- 
sibly do it. So that there must be in Scotland, 
at least forty thousand persons, who are debar- 



THE MINISTERS &C. 



41 



red from the most essential part of public wor- 
ship, by the old age of our ministers, joined 
with the absurdity of our present plan. To 
which, if we add fifty thousand I mentioned 
before, there will be ninety thousand persons 
in this nation, who cannot worship God at all in 
public, or worship him in a way unworthy of 
him. and dangerous to themselves, whose blood 
must be crying to heaven against the rulers of 
our church. For whether the above calcula- 
tions be allowed to be just or not, there must 
certainly be a very considerable number of our 
brethren in this distressed situation : unless we 
suppose, contrary to known matter of fact, that 
the ministers of our church are not subject to the 
same infirmities of body and mind that other 
men are subject to; and that they are secured 
by some sacred infallibility, from embracing 
enthusiastical or sceptical opinions. 

But further our worship, as it is performed 
at present, is not only corrupted by the contrary 
petitions of contending parties; not only tinc- 
tured with the heats and animosities that arise 
in synods and assemblies ; not only mixed with 
the whimsical opinions and pernicious principles 
of libertines and enthusiasts that climb up into 
our pulpits ; not only rendered obscure and con- 
temptible, by the pedantry and affected learning 
of the younger, and the weaknesses of mind and 
body of our older ministers ; but frequently in- 
terlarded with ill-timed compliments to the 
great, or the ministers' favorites, and the gross- 
est abuses of those who have the misfortune 
to be out of favor. I could produce numer- 
ous instances of both, and, were it not an invid- 



D 2 



42 



A LETTER TO 



ious task, point out the persons, places and 
times. Upon the marriage of a certain noble 
peer in this nation, the parson carried his com- 
pliments so far in the public prayers, that he 
exceeded all the bounds of decency, and made 
his female hearers blush ; and I should Mush 
to repeat to the rulers of oar church, in a letter, 
the expressions that he made use of to the G^Bpf 
heaven and earth, in the face of a congregation : 
So extravagant and ill-chosen were his words, 
that the lady was forced to direct the clergy- 
man, and intreat him to forbear his rude peti- 
tions. A minister, even in one of our royal 
burghs, observing a young gentleman, son to 
one of the magistrates, in church, after a jour- 
ney to London, made all the congregation thank 
God, that he had brought back their friends 
from foreign lands. Most men, I presume, 
will remember how grossly the royal com- 
mander of his Majesty's forces, during the last 
war, was abused, by having his praises 
wrought into our public prayers by rough and 
unskilful hands. Some allowances, I own, 
are to be made for the clergy in this instance : 
the augmentation scheme* was then in agitation, 
and the weaker part of them foolishly thought 
that this would pave the way for it. 

On the other hand, he must be a great stran- 
ger in our congregations, or very heedless 
when he comes there, who has not observed, 
that sometimes a well-meant zeal, and some- 
times too warm an attachment to party opin- 
ions, with respect to religious subjects, and 
private resentments too, have taught ministers 
of keen passions, to use several expressions, 

* A law for modifying- the stipends to the clergy. JVere Ed. Ency. 



THE MINISTERS, 



43 



not only inconsistent with the charity of Chris- 
tians, but even with the humanity of men. Vex 
them in thy wrath, and plead with them in thy dis- 
pleasure* through all eternity, was the unchris- 
tian petition of Mr. with respect to pa- 
pists. Pour down the vials of thy wrath upon 
*|Bpi, and burn their jlesh with fire, was Mr, 

C *s ungenerous wish. Nothing hut heat 

of zeal, and hurry of passion, could have dictat- 
ed these petitions ; and I am far from think- 
ing that many of our ministers suffer them- 
selves to be driven to so great lengths : But 
all of them are subject to passions ; and what 
is left to the discretion of the minister, is left 
also to the indiscretion and passions of man ; 
and we frequently find the two last, where the 
first was designed to take place. Many in- 
stances could be given of the ill-timed flattery 
of friends, and unchristian expressions with 
respect to enemies, that have been vented in 
our public prayers : but I am tender of the 
reputation of the clergy, and do not choose to 
expose their errors farther than is absolutely 
necessary to show the danger and absurdity of 
our present way of worship ; and to persuade 
them to recover and secure its purity and de- 
cency : arid therefore I humbly entreat you to 
consider whether the ill-timed, ill-chosen com- 
pliments of sycophants upon the one hand, 
and the unchristian expressions of keen zealots 
upon the other, do not render our public wor- 
ship contemptible and dangerous ; and whether 
there be any thing so likely to prevent them 
from indulging their humors, to the dishonor 
of God and disgrace of religion, as some well- 
chosen, pious, public form of prayer. 



44 



A LETTER TO 



After flattery, we may mention Politics, in 
which our ministers will be dabbling, in spite of 
grace, nature, and common sense, as another 
very fruitful source of blunders in our worship. 
Few of them have genius, fewer still have suffi- 
cient intelligence, and all of them are at too 
great a distance from the seat of government 
to comprehend the secret intrigues of courts, or 
to perceive, in spite of the varnish by which 
they are disguised, the real views of parties : 
yet all of them will be meddling ; and in every 
dispute, our prayers must take a side, and the 
poor laymen must address their Maker, some- 
times upon the faith of a foolish rumor, and 
often upon the credit of common news. To 
say nothing of the times, very wittily, but very 
truly described by Butler in hrs Hudibras, 

When gospel-trumpeter, surrounded 
With long-ear'd rout, the battle sounded, 
And pulpit, drum ecclesiastic, 
Was beat by fist, instead of a stick : 

Not (I say) to mention these days, whose his- 
tory will be an eternal disgrace to our religion, 
and would furnish as many instances of non- 
sense and blasphemy vented in our public pray- 
ers, as would be sufficient to fill up a large 
volume ; even in latter days, politics have in- 
troduced very gross absurdities into our pub- 
lic service. I am not yet an old man, and I 
remember to have been made to pray that God 
would pull down the bloody house of Austria. 
During the last war, I earnestly begged that he 
would build it up. Now I begin to give broad 
hints that I would have it pulled down again ; 
and am expecting, every Sunday, to be made 
to desire it in a formal manner. The interests 



THE MINISTERS, &C 



45 



and leagues of the states of Europe shift so 
frequently, that we are often flung out in our 
prayers, and pray for our enemies as if they 
were our friends, and against our friends as if 
they were our enemies. Would our ministers 
be contented to make us pray in general for 
our friends, and against the devices of our en- 
emies, we should never be wrong : but they 
choose to mention whom they mean, lest 
omniscient Wisdom should mistake, or at 
least that their people may know that they are 
great politicians, and very zealous for the pub- 
lic good. Many a time have I thanked God for 
giving us glorious victories, when we have been 
shamefully beaten ; for inspiring courage into 
our troops, when they have run away ; for suc- 
cess granted to our arms in battles that were 
never fought ; and for deliverance from plots 
that were never formed. Our public worship, 
in the present way, has always been and will 
always be tinctured with the spirit of party, and 
made the property of faction in church and 
state. When the famous Cambuslang conver- 
sion was going on, (I shall never forget it,)one 
Sunday morning I was made to thank God for 
the manifestation of his power in that conver- 
sion, and intreat him to continue the great 
work he had begun. In the afternoon, by an 
unlucky change of ministers, I was made to 
pray that God would put a stop to the delusions 
of the devil, by which the ignorant and simple 
were deceived, and give us grace to resist that 
spirit of enthusiasm, that had gone out into our 
land. Thus, what I ascribed to God in the 
morning, I ascribed to the devil in the after- 



6 



A LETTER TO 



noon ; and what I had requested God to pro- 
mote, I requested him too to give me grace to 
resist. I prayed long and earnestly with Wal- 
pole's enemies, before their intrigues and my 
prayers could pull him down ; and when he fell 
I was made to thank God for the great deliv- 
erance ; though it was soon discovered, that it 
was nothing more than a struggle for power 
between parties, and a matter of no moment 
to me or my country, which of the parties was 
in or out : However, all ranks contributed 
something to raise the clamor: the mob made 
bonfires, the magistrates rung the bells, the 
ministers gave their prayers, and the mountain 
brought forth a mouse. 

JSTay, I have known the private piques and 
little quarrels between the parson and his 
neighbors, introduced into public worship, 
and made a part of our prayers : Even when 
the parson was the first aggressor, he had the 
assurance to complain to God, (as he called it % ) 
and, what was still more unreasonable, made 
his parishioners complain with him, or at least 
he complained in their names, though most of 
them were very sensible that he himself had 
done the injustice. How his complaints were 
received in heaven, I cannot tell ; but I know 
they had their effects upon earth ; for his an- 
tagonist, unable to bear the staring of the con- 
gregation every Lord's day, was forced to 
sit down under the injustice. It is hard to de- 
termine in this respect, whether you have the 
meanest opinion of your God or your hearers ; 
for it seems you think that both are obliged to 
shift sides as you are pleased to direct them^ 



THE MINISTERS, &C. 



47 



and, right or wrong, be still of the party which 
the parson for the time thinks fit to embrace. 
That you should treat the laity with so great 
contempt in this case, is not so surprising, as 
you may be convinced from long experience, 
that they will swallow down the grossest ab- 
surdities in their public prayers, and trust the 
propriety of their worship upon Sunday to the 
discretion and ability of a man, whose folly and 
weakness perhaps they laugh at all the week. 
But I own it is amazing, that you can use such 
freedom with the Deity, to desire him to do 
and undo as the fancy strikes you, or your de- 
signs chance to alter. 

Our prayers are for the most part, too his- 
torical, and seem rather designed to instruct 
the congregation, than to confess their sins, ex- 
press their wants, or offer their grateful thanks- 
givings. I do not at all suppose that you are 
ignorant as our people seem to be, of the dif- 
ference between preaching and praying, or that 
you are not sensible that a very good sermon 
will make but a very bad prayer : but I cannot 
help thinking that you comply too far with the 
popular taste in this respect, and strive to 
please, by giving our public prayers as much 
the air and manner of a sermon as possible ; or, 
knowing that many of your people judge of the 
propriety and excellency of a prayer by its 
length, to come up to the common standard, 
you are forced to fill up a gap with what ma- 
terials come first to hand : and this I am more 
apt to believe to be the case, because we some- 
times find half a dozen sentences from scripture 
poured into our prayers all at once, without the 



48 



A LETTER TO 



least connexion among themselves, or the least 
relation to what went before, or follows after; 
and frequently too without the least affinity to 
any of the parts of prayer. What Mr. For- 
dyce means , by that certain* happy irregularity 
in our public prayer, which he is pleased to re- 
commend,! profess I know not; but I know very 
well,that there is a certain unhappy irregularity 
inmost of ours,that renders them veryimproper 
for public worship. The several parts of pray- 
er are most absurdly confounded, though they 
require very different dispositions of heart: con- 
fession is jumbled with thanksgiving; petition 
is mixed, with narration; and sometimes we 
have all the parts of prayer in one single sen- 
tence. By these means the mind is held in 
suspence, and cannot settle to that humility, 
conviction and sorrow, that ought to attend con- 
fession; nor is it raised to that warm gratitude, 
and ardent love, that ought to enliven our 
thanksgivings; neither is it filled with that sense 
of dependence, nor formed to that serious ear- 
nestnesss and lively faith, with which our peti- 
tions ought to be sent forth. 

Instead of these, amused with the novejty of 
expression, and distracted with the quick and 
irregular successions of the several parts of 
prayer, it fluctuates between these sensations, 
and feels not much of any of them. When all 
the powers of the soul should be employed in 
their proper places and making their greatest ef- 
forts to offer a spiritual worship to the Father of 
spirits, our curiosity is only awake, and we are 



* Edification, &c. page 15. 



THE MINISTERS, &C. 



49 



listening to a prayer, no otherwise than we do a 
sermon. I would beg leave further to observe, 
that our extemporary worship in the church,pro- 
duces very bad effects with respect to our wor- 
ship in our families : for, as praying to God ex- 
tempore, is the prevailing fashion, and as our 
people are taught to despise worship offered by 
a form, so those of them who want memory, 
learning, and invention, to express themselves 
extempore with propriety, and have modesty to 
be ashamed of indecent expressions, and reflec- 
tion to think of the danger of unreasonable and 
unchristian petitions, never pray with their 
families at all. On the other hand, when igno- 
rance aftd self-sufficiency meet in the master of 
a family, their worship, of consequence, is a 
miserable mixture of nonsense, error and blas- 
phemy. The most ignorant, are always the 
most presuming; and the less sense that a 
man has of the nature and importance of pray- 
er, the more readily will he venture upon ex- 
temporary worship. In fact, it is true, that 
many of our people, who can hardly repeat 
their creed, and know very little more of their 
religion, than a few hard words that they 
have gleaned out of our catechisms, imitate 
our parsons in praying extempore ; and ap- 
proach their Maker, with as great familiarity 
as they would do their neighbour ; and with 
much less respect and reverence, than they 
dare treat their laird. Good God ! what piti- 
ful scenes have I seen of this kind ! what rude 
and shocking expressions ! what blasphemous 
petitions have I heard ! how often have I 
trembled when the ignorant and proud enthu- 
E 



50 



A LETTER TO 



siast kneeled down with his family to his ex- 
temporary worship ! How often have I shud- 
dered at the whimsical notions that he wrought 
into our prayers, the insolent and unchristian 
expressions which he used, and the nonsense 
that he offered in our name ! How often has 
my heart bled in secret, for the sad situation 
of many miserable families, who, by our un 
happy attachment to extemporary prayer, ei- 
ther want family worship altogether, or offer 
their worship in such a manner, as dishonors 
God, disgraces religion, and is very dangerous 
to themselves ! But I would very far exceed 
the bounds of a letter, and I am afraid, weary 
out your patience, if I should endeavor to lay 
before you, all the inconveniencies that attend 
our present way of worship. And I flatter my- 
self, if you will add to those already taken no- 
tice of, the blunders of ignorance, the flights 
of vanity, the heedless silly repetitions, the 
unguarded expressions, and the childish 
thoughts, that are mixed with our prayers, (and 
must be mixed with them, unless you can sup- 
pose, that all our ministers are men of the 
greatest abilities, elocution and prudence,) you 
will see, that our present way of worship is 
defective, unreasonable and dangerous : and 
that the hardships that the laity labour under, 
and the danger to which they are exposed, can 
only be removed, by some devout and approv- 
ed form of prayer. 

To support the present absurd practice, to 
make the laity sit quietly down with the injus- 
tice done them, and to blind their eyes, that 
they may not perceive the disadvantages that 



THE MINISTERS, &,C. 



31 



they labour under, and the danger to which 
they are exposed, it has been said that a form 
of prayer will limit the inspiration^ the Spir- 
it ; that it deadens the devotion of the people ; 
that all the wants of a Christian congregation 
cannot he expressed by a form : and some have 
been so foolish as to say, that it is unlawful to 
worship by a form of prayer. Will you par- 
don my presumption, and hear me with pa- 
tience, if I humbly offer my thoughts upon 
these heads : I hope you will. As to the first, 
I might boldly appeal to your own consciences; 
and ask you, in the name of God, do you believe 
that you are inspired ? Have you indeed so 
mean an opinion of the understanding and 
judgment of the laity, as to imagine that any of 
them, who think at all, can ever be brought to 
believe^ that the prayers we commonly hear, 
are dictated by the Holy Ghost ? Or, have you 
so little regard to the honor of God, and the 
interests of religion, as to ascribe your extem- 
porary effusions to the Holy Spirit? No, I am 
persuaded that none but the rankest enthusi- 
ast, will ever urge this argument against a form 
of prayer. And I will beg leave to ask such ; 
are the words, or the matter of your prayers, 
or both inspired ? That the words are not in- 
spired, is evident, from the difficulty that you 
frequently have, to find proper words ; from 
the improper, and sometimes indecent expres- 
sions, that fall from you ; from the ill-timed 
pauses that you are forced to make ; and the 
most useful supplement of coughing, groaning 
and spitting, that must come in to your assist- 
ance. But supposing that you were indeed in- 



52 



A LETTER TO 



spired with words ; it would be of small im- 
portance to yourselves, or to us, unless the 
matter of your prayers be inspired too : and if 
the matter of them be inspired, your prayers 
are of equal authority with the Scriptures them- 
selves, and should be entered into the canon. 
I know not how to excuse the negligence of the 
people of this nation, in suffering so much 
sound doctrine to be lost : it might have clear- 
ed up some difficult passages in Scripture, 
and decided several important disputes. I 
know not what to say for this piece of negli- 
gence, unless our people think that all things 
necessary for Christians to know, to believe, 
and to practice, are revealed in the Holy 
Scriptures : and that they may be taught by 
them what to ask in prayer, and how Jo regu- 
late their lives. And if this be true, 'your in- 
spiration is a very great gift, bestowed for very 
poor purposes ; only to save you the pains of 
searching the Scriptures, and the trouble of 
composing a form of prayer by the instructions 
and examples contained in them. The heathen 
poets themselves, had a greater reverence for 
the Deity than this : for it was a maxim among 
them, 

Nec Deus intersit, nisi dignus vindice nodus 
Incident * 

I submit whether you do not transgress against 
this rule, by introducing the inspiration of the 
Holy Spirit, if the Scriptures be sufficient to 
direct us what to ask in prayer, and if they be 
not sufficient for this, the revelation of the will 

* Hor. Art. Poet. Never let a God be introduced, unless there hap- 
pens to be some difficulty worthy of such an agent. 



THE MINISTERS &C. 



of God, for our salvation, is defective in a very 
important point ; and neither the prophets, nor 
the apostles, no, nor our Saviour himself, though 
he enterprized it, have taught us how to pray. 
But supposing that it were necessary, that the 
words and matter of our prayers, should be 
inspired by the Holy Ghost ; why might not a 
number of pious and learned divines, met to- 
gether with such an interesting and great de- 
sign, as that of composing a form of prayer for 
a whole Church, have as much reason to ex- 
pect, and be as likely to receive the assistance 
of the Holy Spirit, as a private clergyman in- 
venting the transient prayer of a particular 
congregation? But this supposed inspiration 
in our extemporary way, will involve us in 
very great, nay, insuperable difficulties ; for 
we shall Ibe as much puzzled where to find our 
miraculous inspiration, as the papists are 
where to fix their wonderful infallibility ; for, 
if we suppose that this inspiration is confined 
to any one of the several sects that use extem- 
porary prayer, we prescribe to the Holy Spirit, 
and limit him, with a witness, and shall be sad- 
ly perplexed to determine to which particular 
party this wonderful privilege is given. If we 
suppose that this privilege is common to the 
ministers of all the sects, then we must con- 
clude, that the Holy Ghost inspires oppo- 
site petitions to men of opposite principles, 
and directs one set to pray against another : 
for instance, if he inspires the burghers* 

* Burgher and anti -burgher are the names of two parties among the 
Scotch seceders, taken from the cause of their quarrel ; an oath im- 
posed in some of the royal boroughs in Scotland, upon those they ad- 
mit into the corporation. 

E2 



A LETTER TO 



to pray against the principle of their se- 
ceding brethren the anti-burghers, and to cut 
them off from their communion by excom- 
munication ; we cannot suppose that he inr 
spires the anti-burghers to return the compli- 
ment : and if he inspires the ministers of these 
sects to pray against the principle of the church 
established by law, he does not direct the min- 
isters of the established church, in their public 
prayers, to call the secession a dangerous 
schism. That the ministers of the several sects 
do pray for the success of their several parties, 
and that God would hinder the spreading of the 
principles of the other sects, is evident to all 
the world. Now, unless we would be guilty 
of the boldest blasphemy, and say that the 
Holy Ghost chimes in with the principles of 
the parson, whatever they be, (as the people 
are forced to do,) we must conclude, that tfris 
inspiration is not granted but to one of the sects; 
and I shall only request each of them to use 
a form of prayer, until they shall be able to 
prove that this gift of inspiration belongs to 
them. And that the established church, with 
which I have to do, may be more willing to 
hear and grant my request, I will produce 
some strong presumptions that it does not be- 
long to them : indeed, the instances that I haye 
given above, are more than sufficient for this 
purpose. But I shall further add, first, that if 
the confession of faith be true, none of our min- 
isters are inspired in their prayers; for there all 
mankind are divided, into two classes, the elect 
and the reprobates : yet it is evident, beyond 
all possibility of dispute, that the elect pray as 



THE MINISTERS, 



if it were possible that they may be dam- 
ned ; and the reprobates, as if it were possible 
that they may be saved ; and yet it is impos- 
sible that the Holy Spirit inspires either of 
them with these prayers, unless we be so im- 
pious as to imagine, that he directs them to pray 
upon false principles, and inspires them to 
pray for or against what he knows can never 
happen : And though some of you urge this 
argument of inspiration against your adversa- 
ries, yet our Church has in fact very fairly dis- 
claimed it, by publishing and authorizing a di- 
rectory for public prayer; unless we would 
suppose them so presumptuous as to direct the 
Holy Spirit how to pray. In truth, our pres- 
byterian inspiration, is as mysterious and as use- 
less a gift, as the popish infallibility. The 
popish church has an infallibility lodged some- 
where, but she knows not where to find it in 
time of need : We Presbyterians have an in- 
spiration among us, but we know not to which 
of all these sects it belongs. The infallible 
church is filled with disputes, which her infal- 
libility cannot determine ; and the inspired 
church has nonsense, contradiction, and whim- 
sical opinions, vented in her public prayers, 
which her inspiration does not prevent. The 
infallible church, has the mos4 unreasonable and 
absurd creed of any church upon earth ; and 
the inspired church has, and will have (while- 
she adheres to her present plan.) a very defec- 
tive, unreasonable, and dangerous kind of pub- 
lic worship : so fully, and justly, does the prov- 
idence of Heaven confute the vain pretensions 
of presumptuous men. 



A LETTER TO 



But it may be said, and it has been said, that 
this gift of inpiration is not universal to all our 
ministers, nor uniform and constant to any of 
them ; but granted, now and then, by fits and 
starts, something (I suppose) like the Quaker's 
spirit. I cannot help thinking, if this be the 
case, that the Quakers proceed more judicious- 
ly than we : they patiently wait in silence till 
they feel, or imagine they feel the influen- 
ces of the Spirit ; but if he does not come, we 
venture to do without him : they humbly sub- 
mit to his will, to inspire whom he pleaseth ; 
but we confine him to the minister : they stop 
short when the influence ceases; but we run 
our glasses, let his influences cease when they 
will. I would therefore humbly propose ei- 
ther that, like Quakers, we should wait the 
Spirit, and permit any one of the congregation, 
who chanced to be inspired, to dictate our de- 
votions ; or, that a form of prayer be composed 
and authorized, only to be used when the min- 
ister feels no inspiration. Let him have full 
liberty to depart from the form, when he feels 
upon his mind the miraculous influences of the 
Holy Spirit, suggesting the matter of his 
prayers. By this method we shall gain two 
very considerable advantages ; first, we shall 
always worship, either by inspiration, or by an 
approved form, and be certain (unless the par- 
son deceives us,) that the ignorance, affectation, 
ill-timed zeal, pride or passions of the man 
himself, cannot tincture our pubiic worship, or 
mix themselves with our prayers. And next, 
we shall discover when our parsons are inspir- 



THE MINISTERS, &C. 



5 7 



ed ; for, as things are managed at present, this 
miracle is as much lost in our presbjterian 
church, as the famous miracle of transubstan- 
tiation is among the papists. In both churches, 
there is a wonderful manifestation of almighty 
power ; yet no one is able to perceive it in 
either. The papists are convinced that bread 
and wine are converted into flesh and blood, 
though, to all the senses, they remain bread 
and wine still : we Presbyterians are persuad- 
ed that our ministers are sometimes inspired, 
though we cannot tell when the inspiration be- 
gins or ends ; and though our ministers, in this 
case, lie under the same misfortune that Hudi- 
bras did, 

When with greatest art he spoke, 
You'd think, he talk'd like other folk: 

so it unluckily fares with them, when they 
pray most by inspiration, they only pray like 
other people ; and all my attention and skill 
have never been able to discover the inspiration 
in one single instance. But by the method that 
I am proposing, we shall discover, that the in- 
spiration immediately begins, when the minis- 
ter departs from the established form : and 
perhaps we may make another discovery; I 
mean, that the rage of party, the spirit of pride 
and enthusiasm, as frequently inspire our min- 
isters, as the spirit of peace and love. In a 
word, let those ministers who have pride 
enough to believe, and presumption to affirm, 
that they are inspired, and can find people so 
ignorant and credulous as to believe them, or 
50 tame and indifferent as to trust their devo- 



58 



A LETTER TO 



tions to an imaginary inspiration : let these, I 
say, use the present method, but have pity up- 
on us who see the difficulty, disadvantages, and 
great danger of our present way of worship. 

As we cannot find in,scripture any promise 
of such a gift ; as we are convinced that there 
can be no need of it, (unless we suppose, that the 
Holy Ghost has not fully revealed the will of 
God for our salvation ;) as we are absolutely 
certain that you are not all inspired, and have no 
reason to believe that any one of you is so ; we 
presume most humbly and most earnestly to 
request, that some pious form of prayer may 
be composed and authorized. The only in- 
spiration that is promised in scripture, that is 
necessary, or that can be useful, is, that the 
Holy Spirit will inspire the hearts of the faith- 
ful with affections proper for this important 
duty ; such as shame and sorrow in confession, 
an humble Christian hope of obtaining what we 
ask in our petitions, gratitude and love in our 
thanksgiving, and such other affections as are 
suitable to the several parts of prayer ; and no 
man, I believe, will say that the Holy Spirit 
cannot, or prove that he will not inspire our 
hearts with these affections, as easily and as 
readily when we pray by a form, as when we 
pray without one. And as far as prayer may be 
considered as one of the means of inspiring 
these affections, a form seems better calcu- 
lated to answer that purpose, in public assem- 
blies, than extemporary effusions : for in the 
extempore way, the hearer, (if he has any sense 
of the nature and importance of prayer,) must 
begin the duty with a trembling heart, and go 



THE MINISTERS, &C. 



59 



through it with a continual diffidence, as he 
trusts it entirely to the discretion of another 
man; sometimes to a man whom he never 
saw before, and always to a man who has not 
so much as calmly considered it himself. He 
must often suspend his assent, when he is not 
satisfied with the propriety of the expression; 
he must lose the sense, where the sentence is 
intricate,- and through the whole, be in per- 
plexity, suspicion, fear, and real danger. 
Whereas, when prayers are offered by a form, 
no word need escape him; he understands 
every word ; he perceives the connexion ot 
every sentence ; and let the minister's judg- 
ment be ever so weak, his learning ever so 
little, his manner of expressing himself per- 
plexed, his principles pernicious, his passions 
ever so keen, and his party prejudices ever so 
violent ; yet in spite of all these, he offers a 
reasonable service, and breathes forth the warm 
feelings of his soul, in decent, devout, heart-af- 
fecting, and heart-approved prayers. This ob- 
servation may in a great measure obviate the 
second objection ; I mean, that a form of 
prayer does not so much enliven the devotion 
of the people ; but I beg leave further to ob- 
serve, that they who are used to worship in 
the extemporary way, cannot be competent 
judges in this case ; because they have not 
fairly made the experiment, but reason only 
from speculation. When they drop into a 
place where forms are used, they come in with 
strong prejudices ; they are entire strangers 
to the form, are perplexed in all the parts of it. 



60 



A LETTER TO 



It happens with them in this case, as it does 
with men in every other thing ; what they have 
not been accustomed to, appears strange : 
what they are unacquainted with, seems per- 
plexed; and what they do not know reasons 
for, is apt to appear unreasonable. It may be 
too, that the ignorant miss the unnatural cant, 
the frantic gestures, and fearful distortions of 
the face, that in their opinion, are essential 
parts of prayer. But let a man of sense and 
candor, make himself master of a form, and 
try the experiment for a year or two, by at- 
tending carefully to prayers offered in that 
way; and then and not till then, will he be able 
to determine whether the form, or the extem- 
porary method, has the noblest effect to enliven 
his devotions. At least it is certain, that many 
who have tried both, give their opinion in favor 
of a form ; and that they who use a form of 
prayer, constantly affirm, that they feel it ten 
times more enlivening, and better calculated 
to inspire our devout affections, than extempo- 
rary effusions. And there must be something 
in it, because the professors of all religions un- 
der the sun, have chosen this method: the 
Christain Church universally used it till the 
fifteenth century, and indeed may be said to do 
so at present ; for we make such a small part 
of the Catholic Church, that our practice hardly 
deserves to be considered as an exception. 

I shall not dwell long upon the speculative 
arguments that are offered by either side ; be- 
cause ingenious men will always find some 
thing plausible to say, in defence of a practice, 
which answers their purposes. They who 



THE MINISTERS, &.C, 



61 



use forms, say, that their minds are free from 
all distraction and fear, and have nothing else 
to do, hut attend to the object of their prayers, 
and maintain upon their minds a constant and 
lively sense of the importance of the business 
in which they are engaged, free from the care 
of examining every sentence before they offer 
it as their petition; secure that no indecent or 
unchristian expression can mix with the devo- 
tions, being already satisfied of the propriety of 
the whole form. They say that the mind of 
man is not able to attend to many things at 
once; and that in our way' of worship, if 
the people offer a reasonable service, they 
must examine every sentence, hear every word, 
and understand every word they hear; and 
they must remember what went before, if they 
would conceive the connexion; that they must 
unravel what is expressed in a perplexed man- 
ner, if they would pray with judgment; and in 
fine, that they must give their amen to their 
prayers, with a more superficial examination of 
them, and a much less perfect knowledge of 
their contents, than they would venture to set 
their subscription to, in an address to their su- 
periors upon earth. 

We answer, that the novelty and variety of 
the expression, in our extemporary method, 
help to fix the mind and keep up the attention. 
They ask us, upon what the mind is fixed ? 
upon the object and matter of our prayers or up- 
on the novelty and variety of expression ? If we 
say upon the object and matter of our prayers, 
they will tell us, that there are in these, neither 
novelty nor variety to assist us; because our 
F 



62 



A LETTER TO 



prayers are always addressed to that Being, 
who is the same to-day, yesterday i and 
forever; and the matter of our prayers in 
public must always be nearly the same: but 
if our minds be fixed upon the variety of the ex- 
pression, or novelty of the phrase, they say, 
(and I fear they speak truth,) that this is not 
prayer, but mere amusement; such as the 
mind receives from music, a song, or an enter- 
taining piece of history; that it might perhaps 
prepare the mind for prayer, but is not prayer, 
any more than a sermon is prayer. 

It is evident that many of our ministers are 
sensible, that their people attend only to the 
outward circumstances of their prayers, and 
that the way to be popular, is, to tickle their 
ears with strange sounds, or please their eyes 
with antic gestures; else why do many of them 
affect such an unmanly whining cant? Why 
use such dismal heavy tones, and draw out 
their words to such an immoderate length? Or 
why do they affect such distortions in their 
faces? All the world will acknowledge, that 
these are neither necessary nor useful parts of 
prayer, unless to please the silly vulgar, who, 
regard little more than the sound and circum- 
stances of our prayers. 

But whatever weight may be in the specu- 
lative arguments upon either side, experience 
and matter of fact are fairly against us; for 
those who say, that forms of pray ere enliven de- 
votion, seem, by a certain decency observable 
among them in time of service, to confirm what 
they say; while the visible inattention and in- 
difference of our congregations, flatly contra- 



THE MINISTERS &C. 



63 



diet our arguments and prove to the very sen- 
ses, that our extemporary prayers do not enli- 
ven our devotions. In assemblies where forms 
are used, there is at least the appearance of 
devotion, and an air of seriousness. None of 
them are seen sleeping in time of service, few 
of them gazing about them; not one of them 
ever presumes, (unless in a case of absolute 
necessity,) to remove, till the whole service be 
ended, and they frequently meet in public for 
the business of prayer, which* Mr. Fordyce 
justly complains we never do, and seems to 
think that it would be very difficult to persuade 
our people to it. Thus the practice of those 
who use forms of prayer, proves to me, more 
effectually, than all the speculative arguments 
that can be offered, that they have an higher 
opinion of the great duty of public prayer, feel 
a greater pleasure from it, or are some way or 
other more affected by it than our people are. 
Whereas in our assemblies, there is not so 
much as the air of devotion not even the out- 
ward appearance of seriousness and attention; 
many are sleeping, more gazing about them, 
and all of them * betray a visible impatience un- 
til prayer is over, that they may be entertained 
tvith something more to iheir liking. When 
sermon is over, do we not see them remove in 
crowds, through one half of our service, and 
that the most solemn half still remains? Per- 
haps it may be thought, that this is not a fair ac- 
count of the matter, and that I misrepresent 
things. Will you believe your own brethren? 
they shall vouch what I have said: let us first 

* Edification by public Institutions. 



64 



A LETTER TO 



hear Mr. Bennet's report of the devotion of 
our brethren in England: * " That careless air, 
(says he,) which sits upon the face of a congre- 
gation, when engaged in prayer, shows how 
little they know of the matter, and how few seri- 
ously join in public and solemn prayer; some 
gaze about them, others fall asleep — others fix 
their eye, it may be on the minister, and are af- 
fected with what he says: but then they only 
hear him pray, and are moved with the prayer, 
just as they hear sermons, and are moved 
thereby, (a most lively picture of our public 
worship!) — I must profess to you, should the 
enemies of our way of worship be present to 
observe us, there is nothing I should be so 
much ashamed of, as our exceeding careless, 
irreverent, indevout manner of joining in public 
prayer." So far Mr. Bemiet bears witness to 
the want of devotion in congregations in Eng- 
land, where extemporary prayers are used. 
Let us now see if this way of worship has any 
better success or happier effects among us 
here in Scotland. Alas! it is every where the 
same unnatural, unreasonable, lifeless thing. 
Let Mr. Fordyce speak for the Scotch congre- 
gations: " I doubt not, my brethren, (speaking 
to the clergy) but you have frequently observ- 
ed when the minister of God has been address- 
ing him in the name, and as the mouth of the 
people, the greater part of them seem to be 
doing any thing, rather than join in the solemn 
service; in reality there is no exercise of a 
spiritual nature, which the generality seem to 

* Sermon upon joining in public prayer, p. 112. 



THE MINISTERS, 



65 



regard so little, or to attend so listlessly; seem, 
did I say? the expression is much too feeble; 
their insensibility* and irreverence in this res- 
pect are, from the whole of their deportment, 
most shamefully distinguishable and flagrant."* 
If this be true, as indeed it is the very truth, I 
may be allowed to add, that it is most shamefully 
impudent in us, to allege that forms of pray- 
er deaden the devotion of the people, and that 
our extemporary method enlivens it. The little 
respect, nay, visible contempt, that our people 
show of public prayers, proves more clearly 
than all speculative arguments that can be of- 
fered, that our present way of worship is very 
ill calulated for enlivening the devotion- of the 
people : I have proved by two unexceptionable 
witnesses, and had it been consistent with the 
brevity I proposed, could have produced ma- 
ny more, to prove, that our devotion is not only 
dead, but wants even all appearance of life. In 
truth it needs no proof, for every Sunday will 
show that we want attention, and reverence, to 
this most important duty; and every impartial 
heart will tell its owner, (if he understands the 
nature of prayer,) that it is very difficult to 
join in our public worship as it is at present 
performed; that it is impossible to do it ration- 
ally; that it cannot be attempted, without great 
danger; and that in fact he does it very seldom, 
and even then in a very faint and lifeless man- 
ner. 

Allow me next to consider the third objection 
offered against forms of prayer. I mean, that 

* Edification by public Institutions. 

F2 



66 



A LETTER TO 



the wants of a congregation cannot be so fully 
expressed in that way, as by the extemporary 
method. This objection supposes, that a num- 
ber of the most learned and pious men of the 
age, (for such I imagine would be employed,) 
deliberately composing a form of prayer, calmly 
recollecting the matter of it, frequently review- 
ing the whole, furnished with all the ancient and 
modern liturgies, directed by all that has been 
written on the subject, and assisted by every 
one who wishes well to religion and virtue, 
are more likely to omit some necessary petition, 
than a single person, perhaps of very indiffer- 
ent talents, and a very moderate education, 
trusting entirely to an extemporary invention, 
and to his own memory. The man who can sup- 
pose this, hardly deserves to be reasoned with; 
for it is evident, that, in the first case, our 
prayers will be Drought as near perfection as 
possible ; and that in the second, many things 
must be omitted, many injudiciously expressed, 
many needlessly repeated, and the whole tinc- 
tured with weakness, passions, and party-prin- 
ciples of the speaker; and that his best per- 
formances will be as much inferior to a general 
form of prayer, as he himself is in discretion, 
learning, and judgment, to the greatest men 
that have written upon the subject, and to a 
number of men of the best hearts, and calmest, 
ablest heads, convened to compose the form. 
The wants, and consequently the matter of the 
petitions of a Christian congregation, must in 
the main be always the same; they will at all 
times have sins to confess, still have need to ask 



THE MINISTERS, <^C. 



pardon, and implore the divine grace to direct 
their thoughts, words and actions ; it will ever 
be their duty to pray for all ranks of men, &c. 
If any general calamity should happen, such 
as war. famine, pestilence, proper forms may 
be provided ; in private cases, perhaps it might 
be more for the honor of our religion, and de- 
cency of our worship, that we did not descend 
to particular circumstances, so much as we do. 
It is needless to describe the disease to an om- 
niscient God : most cases of this nature, might 
be comprehended under the general names of 
sickness and distress ; but if it be thought 
proper to deal with God Almighty as we do 
with an ordinary doctor, and to lay the case be- 
fore him at full length, methods may be found 
to indulge the humour of the clergy, in this res- 
pect, without leaving our whole worship to 
their discretion, and putting all our public peti- 
tions in their power. 

Should the spiritual condition of a congre- 
gation be altered, (if it possibly can alter so 
much, that the established form could not com- 
prehend the case, which, in my humble opinion, 
cannot happen, if the form be well composed,) 
let the presbytery, synod, or commission of the 
assembly be applied to, and the case being 
calmly considered, its nature and tendency de- 
liberately examined, and its truth and certain- 
ty ascertained ; let a form of prayer be com- 
posed suitable to the case : but this is too deli- 
cate, too dangerous, and difficult an affair, to be 
trusted to the discretion or capacity of any one 
clergyman: for weakness, or villany, in this 



A LETTER TO 



respect, has more than once dishonoured our 
public prayers, with the grossest enthusiasm, 
perverted them to serve very bad purposes, 
and exposed the most solemn part of our ser- 
vice, as well as religion itself, to the rid- 
icule of infidels. 

In a word, the ordinary wants of a Christian 
congregation may, nay, must be more fully ex- 
pressed by a form of prayer, than by extempore 
effusions; and extraordinary cases, after they are 
discovered and examined, may easily be pro- 
vided for, and it is not only possible, but very 
easy, to provide for all cases that ought to be 
particularly mentioned in our public prayers, in 
the first composition of them. But to prevent 
all wrangling upon this subject, and (if pos- 
sible,) to content the most self-sufficient cler- 
gyman, let there be a proper place in this 
proposed form of prayer, where the minister 
may have liberty to pray for all extraordi- 
nary cases, in what words he thinks pro- 
per. It is better, that a small part of our 
worship be exposed to the discretion, igno- 
rance, and passions of the parson, than that 
the whole should be liable, as it is at present, 
to be made the property of faction, to be tinc- 
tured with the prejudices and whimsical opin- 
ions of every private minister, and offered 
upon the pernicious principles of the deist, or 
the extravagant notions of the enthusiast. 

I shall not dwell long upon the last objection, 
I mean that forms, of prayer are unlawful, 
because I believe it never will be offered 
by men of sense and learning; and it is 



THE MINISTERS, 



losing time and pains to reason with such 
as are destitute of both. I shall only beg leave 
to observe, that they who say that forms of 
prayer are unlawful, in fact say, that God Al- 
mighty commanded, that our Saviour attended, 
used, and taught his disciples an unlawful way 
of worship: for that he did so, I have proved 
already, and our own director}' for public wor- 
ship acknowledges, that " Our Lord's prayer 
is not only a pattern for prayer, but is itself a 
most comprehensive prayer/' Here I cannot 
help observing with regret, that wherever our 
directory directs well, there our clergy have 
despised our directory ; for instance, it recom- 
mends that the Lord's prayer be used in our 
public worship: that ordinarily a chapter out of 
each Testament be read at every meeting: the 
first is neglected by most, and the last by all of 
them. It directs that our worship begin with 
prayer, but now it begins with praise; that the 
minister, before worship, shall solemnly exhort 
the people to the worshipping of the great 
name of God: but at present we rush into a very 
solemn part of worship, without a word of pre- 
vious exhortation, and, I fear, very often, with- 
out a serious thought. It i€ easy to rind out 
the reason why the Lord's prayer, and the 
reading of the Scriptures, have been jostled 
out of our service; they have been forced out 
to make room for Mass John's more masterly 
'performances; but why the other alterations 
have been made, the clergy, who direct all 
things, can only tell. To them 1 leave it, and 
resume my subject. If forms are unlaw- 



fal, we are unlawfully baptized, for that is done 
by a form ; and all the extemporary prayers 
which we use upon that occasion, are not es- 
sential to the sacrament, and are additions of 
men. We administer the Lord's Supper in an 
unlawful manner, for we do it by a form ; I 
mean the words of the first institution: we are 
dismissed every Lord's day with an unlawful 
blessing- ; for one of the solemn forms with 
which the apostles concluded their epistles, is 
always used upon that occasion : so that nothing 
can be more inconsistent with ingenuity and 
common sense, than for us to cry out against 
forms, when the most solemn and important 
parts of our religion and worship are perform- 
ed in that way, and when we neither baptize, 
nor communicate, nor bless our congregations 
in a lawful way, unless forms be lawful ; nor do 
these things in the best manner, unless doing 
them by a form be the best. 

But further : if forms of prayer be not ac- 
ceptable to God, and an useful way of worship 
for ourselves, we grossly offend every time that 
we meet in church : for it is impossible to sing 
eighteen or twenty lines of a psalm, but we offer 
some important petition by a form ; and some 
psalms might be pointed out that are almost 
continued prayers ; so that unless we will af- 
firm, that our prayers are acceptable to God, 
and useful to ourselves when they are sung, 
but otherwise when they are said by a form, 
we must allow, that we are inconsistent with 
ourselves when we cry out against forms : that 
our ministers impose upon us when they spirit 



THE MINISTERS &C. 



71 



us up against that way of worship, that they 
may have the better opportunity to gratify their 
own vanity, to manufacture our prayer after 
their own manner, and to mix them up with 
their own private opinions. 

If extemporary worship be preferable, what 
good reason can be given wl;j the ministers 
do not sing psalms extempore in our names, 
as well as offer extemporary prayers? for we 
are as much concerned to join in the last as in 
the first : a blunder in the one is as dan^ 
gerous as in the other, and we could as 
well go along with him in our hearts, when 
he sung an extemporary psalm, as we can do 
when he says an extemporary prayer. This in- 
consistency in our worship has not entirely es- 
caped the observation of our brethren, for ma- 
ny of them have warmly insisted upon it, that 
the Spirit of God is restrained by using the 
psalms of David,* and therefore proposed 
that we should sing as well as pray extempore: 
and upon the supposition, that public worship 
in the extemporary way is most rational, they 
were certainly right ; for no good reasons can 
be given for praising God by forms, that will 
not be equally good for praying to him in the 
same way; and no objection can be offered 
against the last, that will not be as strong 
against the first : for instance, if we say that 
praying to God by forms deadens the devotion 
of the people, so will praising him by forms too. 
If forms of prayer restrain the influences of the 



* Heylk's History of the Presbyterians. 



A LETTER TO 



Holy Spirit, so must forms of praise. If forms 
of prayer cannot express all the wants of a Chris- 
tian congregation, neither will forms of praise 
comprehend all the causes for which a Chris- 
tian congregation may have reason to praise 
God ; especially, as the forms we use were 
composed several thousand years ago and cal- 
culated chiefly for the Jewish religion and wor- 
ship. If forms of prayer he unlawful in them- 
selves, so must our forms of praise: because, 
as I observed before, they are often real pray- 
ers. 

Supposing that extemporary worship was 
more acceptable to God, and useful to ourselves, 
no man in a congregation can reap the benefit 
of it but the parson. Our laity are most grossly 
mistaken, if they imagine that they pray extem- 
pore by our present method: for if they pray 
in the words of the minister, (and in his words 
they must pray, if they join at all in public 
worship,) they are as much confined to a form 
as any other people. For example, if the min- 
ister says, Most gracious God, forgive us our 
sins; preserve us from danger, and provide 
for our necessities; if the people repeat these 
words either in their minds, or with their 
mouths, or both, it is evident that they pray as 
much by form, as if the prayer had been com- 
posed a thousand years ago. In fact, it is im- 
possible for a congregation to join in worship 
otherwise than by a form; and all the differ- 
ence is, that we worship by a form with which 
we are entirely unacquainted; a form that we 
v have never seen nor examined before; a form 



THE MINISTERS 



I 



that is trusted to the discretion and ability of the 
parson for the time, and which the minister 
himself has never once read over nor examined, 
even in the slightest manner. It is hard to 
determine whether his presumption in putting 
a form of prayer into our mouths, that he has 
never examined, or our complaisance in using 
a form that neither we nor our minister have 
ever once read over, is most unaccountable. But 
that either he or we should imagine, that to 
worship God in this manner is most rational 
for us, or most acceptable to him, is such an 
instance of the strength of prejudice, and the 
effects of education, as no man could have 
thought possible, had it not been proved by 
experience: For in fact it is to imagine that our 
worship is the more rational, the more we are 
strangers to the words and matter of our pray- 
ers, and the less access we have had to satisfy 
ourselves of the propriety of our petitions, and 
the more confidence we repose in another man: 
that our worship will be the more acceptable to 
the Deity, the less care and pains are taken 
about the words or matter of it, by the parson 
or the people ; and that our prayers will be so 
much the sooner heard, the less chance they 
have to be expressed in proper words, or to 
consist of pious and reasonable petitions. We 
may sometimes have a better or a worse form, 
according to the judgment and capacity of the 
minister ; but we must always have a very de- 
fective one ; and our very best form must be 
as far inferior to a rational well-composed lit- 
urgy, as the learning, judgment, and memory 
G 



A LETTER TO 



of one man, are to the abilities and calm reflec- 
tion of a number of the most learned and judi- 
cious men of the age. I must confess that I 
have often beheld, with indignation, the parson 
pulling out his papers for the sermon, when 
he trusted the prayer to his invention and me- 
mory: not that I have any prejudice against 
reading of sermons, or am not convinced that 
it is the best method, unless the minister be a 
man of extraordinary parts, of extensive learn- 
ing, and blessed with a very good memory ; 
but that I look upon it as an affront offered to 
God and the congregation, and very absurd 
in this instance; as it shows that the minister 
is less concerned about the propriety and de- 
cency of his address to his God, than to his 
people; that he is more afraid of a blunder 
in his sermon, than in his worship ; or at least, 
that he thinks, either that a mistake in the last 
is of less consequence than in the first, or that 
it is an easier matter to pray than to preach 
well. I own that he has reason to believe that 
any thing like a prayer will pass with the 
bulk of the people, because in truth they do not 
regard it much ; but this should never induce 
him to show that he is careless about the mat- 
ter and words of their prayers as they are 
themselves, and that he takes more care and 
pains to please them by his sermons, than to 
offer their prayers in a concise and proper 
manner. 

I have often heard the members of our 
Church, when the difficulties and dangers of 
our present way of worship have been fairly 



THE MINISTERS, &C. 



Id 



laid before them, satisfy themselves by saying, 
that most of our ministers had a form of prayer 
which they used, and with which, by length of 
time, their people became very well acquaint- 
ed. I believe it may be true, that most of 
them naturally fall into a form; but if we will 
believe themselves, (and they certainly know 
best,) it is rather by chance than by design, and 
of consequence more by good luck, than good 
management, or much care, if the form they 
fall into be a good one. However, it is here 
granted, that the worshipping of God by a form 
is not only lawful and reasonable, but also ne- 
cessary: and if this be the case, why should 
not our worship be rendered uniform, by an 
established general form of prayer? Why 
should it not be brought as near perfection as 
possible, by the judgment, piety, and learning 
of our ablest ministers, and other members of 
our Church, conferring together upon the sub- 
ject? Why should not this form of prayer be 
communicated to the laity, that we may examine 
and approve of it? Is the parson's form such a 
secret, that we may not see and examine it for 
ourselves ? Is it any advantage to our worship, 
that he may alter, curtail, or enlarge it, 
as his passions or prejudices chance to direct; 
and wrap into his form any whimsical opinion 
that he chances to embrace ? We must, not- 
withstanding his form, go to the church with 
a trembling heart ; as we know not but some 
minister may officiate, whose form of prayer 
we never have heard; our own minister may 
have changed his, or some unlucky and hide- 



76 



A LETTER TO 



cent petition may be thrown in, as he has it in 

his power to do as he pleases. i 
At the same time it is true, that our minis* 
ters, who carefully compose and constantly use 
a form of prayer, do as much as they can, in 
their present circumstances, to render our 
worship pure and rational, and to assist the de- 
votions of their people : and therefore deserve 
their esteem and thanks : but yet it is evident, 
that these private forms have no great chance 
of being so full and perfect, and that they 
have but few advantages of a general establish- 
ed form of prayer, and many of the disadvan- 
tages of the extemporary method. 

It has been often urged in defence of extem- 
pore public prayers, that the apostles used 
that way of worship. If they did so, they did 
more than their Master either taught them, 
or gave them an example of, as far as we can 
judge. But supposing that it were proved, 
(which it has not yet been, and I doubt never 
will be) that the apostles used extemporary 
public prayer, I am afraid we shall not be 
able to infer from thence, that our ministers 
should pray extempore, or that the people 
should trust every one of them with the com- 
position and direction of their public worship ; 
unless it could also be proved, that every one of 
them is directed by immediate inspiration. I 
have often blushed for our ministers when I 
have heard them urge this argument, as it is so 
weak and inconclusive in itself, and betrays so 
much presumption and self-sufficiency in them; 
for in fact it is putting our present ministers 
upon a level with the apostles. 



THE MINISTERS, &C. 77 

Some days ago, I was passing by Bedlam 
and observed one of its wretched inhabitants 
wrestling with a great iron gate. I asked him 
what he was about : he told me, with an air of 
importance that his name was Sampson, and 
that he meant to carry up that gate to the top 
of an opposite hill, as his namesake did the 
gates of Gaza. I did not stay to convince him 
that Sampson was endued with miraculous 
strength ; but I could not help thinking that 
there was a great resemblance in his way of 
reasoning, or rather running mad, to the argu- 
ment in hand ; for the apostles were endued 
with miraculous gifts, as much superior to the 
abilities of our present ministers, as Sampson's 
strength was to that of the poor Bedlamite. 
They lived in an age, in which miraculous 
gifts, by the goodness of God, were common in 
the Church ; but in our time there is nothing 
miraculous, unless it be the self-sufficiency and 
presumption of the clergy, in taking upon 
them to offer an extemporary address to their 
Maker; and each of them claiming a right to 
make a whole parish pray as he pleases ; and 
the absurd confidence reposed in them by the 
laity ; and the tame submission by which they 
suffer every man that chances to fill their pul- 
pits, to manufacture and mix up their prayers 
as he chooses. These, indeed, are miraculous 
things, such as no age, no country, no religion, 
ever produced examples of ; and it is still 
more surprising, that the clergy themselves, 
(as I have proved before) see and publish to 
the world, that the people do not josin in public 
worship ; and the most learned and sensible 
G2 



78 



A LETTER TO 



part of the laity feel and acknowledge, that it 
is very difficult and dangerous for them to join 
in it, as it is performed at present; and yet 
that none of our clergy have compassion and 
humility to propose, nor any of the laity reso- 
lution to demand, a change ; hut that all of 
them sit down with an absurd and dangerous 
way of worship, introduced partly by necessity, 
and partly by enthusiasm, in the distracted 
days of our reformation ; disapproved of by our 
ablest reformers from the beginning, as wit- 
ness John Knox, who composed and used a 
form of prayer ; and only approved of and sup- 
ported by the silly, ignorant vulgar, who have 
so little knowledge, either of the nature or im- 
portance of prayer, that they would not give 
themselves the trouble to go to church, unless 
it were to hear a sermon ; and by the turbulent 
and self-sufficient part of the clergy, who find 
that it gives them a fair opportunity to sow dis- 
cord, propagate faction, and prostitute our wor- 
ship to their foolish fondness for popularity. 

That the mob, who place great merit in hear- 
ing many sermons, and think preaching the 
most important part of public worship, should 
be fond of our present method, is no wonder at 
all ; for our extemporary effusions are rather 
sermons than prayers. It is natural, too, for 
the ambitious, enthusiastical, and libertine part 
of our clergy, to be warmly attached to our 
present way of worship : it niost effectually 
answers their several purposes : it affords the 
ambitious a large field for displaying their 
popular talents, and an excellent opportunity 
to preach themselves : it gives enthusiasts and 



THE MINISTERS, Lc. 



libertines fair scope to vent their whimsical 
and pernicious principles. Indeed, nothing 
can be better calculated for propagating sedi- 
tion, heresy, enthusiasm, and party principles, 
than our present way of worship : since every 
minister has the composition of most of it, and 
the choice and management of the whole : so 
that it is no wonder if men of these characters 
be fond of it; nay, it would be very surprising 
if they could be persuaded to give up our 
present method. 

But it is not easy to conceive why the learn- 
ed, orthodox, and pious part of our clergy, who 
have no other views but the good of souls, and 
the glory of God, have not endeavored to re- 
medy these ills, by composing and authorizing 
such a form of prayer, as might enable every 
congregation in the kingdom to offer their 
prayers upon truly Christian principles : or 
how it comes to pass, that the sensible and pi- 
ous part of our laity, (though they can hardly 
miss to see, that it is inconsistent with religion, 
and common sense, to trust the most solemn 
part of our worship to the discretion, honesty, 
and ability, often of strangers whom they have 
never seen before, and always of individuals, 
of whose weakness and folly they have many 
instances.) choose to run such a terrible risk. 

I have contributed my poor mite to deliver 
the laity from the hardships and danger to 
which they are exposed by our present way of 
worship ; and (as I think) have made it obvious, 
that the present method is attended with great 
inconveniences and imminent danger to us poor 
laymen. I may likewise hope, that the rulers cf 



so 



A LETTER TO 



our Church will lay our case to heart, and take 
such methods as may enable us to offer a ration- 
al service to the great Source of reason, and to 
lift up holy hands, without perplexity, fear, or 
danger. While our case continues as it is, 
our churches may indeed be crowded by those 
who have not sense to see their danger, nor at^ 
tention to perceive upon how many opposite 
principles the}' are made to pray; persons who 
have never, perhaps, in all their lives, reflected 
upon the nature and importance of prayer, and 
come to church partly because it is the custom, 
or at most to hear a sermon : but those who 
consider the nature and importance of public 
worship, will hardly choose, in a thing of so 
great consequence, to be blindfolded and led 
by the parson. 

With all humility and due deference, I sub- 
mit the whole to your consideration, more ex- 
tensive learning, and better judgment, and to 
the candid reflection of all pious Christians ; 
and am, with the greatest respect, 

Reverend Fathers, 

Your most obedient 

And most humble servant, 

A. T. BLACKSMITH. 

fnverary y May 8th) 1758. 



R. P. & O. WILLIAMS? 

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Intend to republish the very scarce, and 
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VENTIONS OF MEN," so soon as they have 
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FESTIVALS & FASTS, by Nelson. 

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